Sams Teach Yourself CGI in 24 Hours, Second Edition

What Is a Database?

In the simplest terms, a database is simply a place to store multiple chunks of similar data. Each chunk of data is known as a record, and each piece of information in a record is known as a field. Every record in a database contains the same number and type of fields. If you use an address book with your email client, for example, the file that stores all the addresses is a database. In this case, the database contains a record for every user, and the fields might be the user’s real name and email address. If your database were a Rolodex, each card in the Rolodex would be a record, and each separate piece of information on the card would be a field.

Of course, there are also enormous databases that store millions of records, ...