A Quick Aside: Data versus Information
Before we pose the first query to the database, one thing must be perfectly clear: There is a distinct difference between data and information. In essence, data is what you store in the database, and information is what you retrieve from the database. This distinction is important for you to understand because it helps you to keep things in proper perspective. Remember that a database is designed to provide meaningful information to someone within your organization. However, the information can be provided only if the appropriate data exists in the database and if the database itself has been structured in such a way to support that information. Let’s examine these terms in more detail.
The values that ...
Get SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL, Second Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
