This Season
 

How to Decide When to Use a Database Program

You can use a database program to store, sort, retrieve and display information stored as records. You might select a database program to keep track of addresses, recipes, customers' buying habits, music CDs, or any other collection of items. While you can keep track of records in a word processor, a spreadsheet or even in Personal Information Management software, a database program offers strengths and advantages that the others do not.

Related Searches:
    Difficulty:
    Easy

    Instructions

    Things You'll Need

    • FileMaker
    • Microsoft Access
      • 1

        Select a database program if you want to keep track of many records. A record is a cluster of information pertaining to a certain topic or item. For example, if you want to keep track of your music CDs, you would create one record for each CD; this record could contain any type of information that you want to include.

      • 2

        Choose a database program to look at your records in more than one display view. You might select to view or print your records as a series of individual index cards or as a table showing all your records on the screen.

      • 3

        Pick a database to sort your records according to any criteria you specify. You might sort your musical CDs by artists' names, by title in descending or ascending alphabetical order, by date purchased, by genre, or by any other criteria you want.

      • 4

        Decide on a database to retrieve information in one or more categories. For example, you might generate a report on the jazz CDs in your collection purchased prior to 1997. The program will display the records that meet those two criteria.

      • 5

        Select a database to convert your records to a format that can be used in a Web site database. Many databases have this function.

      • 6

        Choose a database for portability. Many database programs allow you to export records to word-processing programs or other applications, where they can be used for other purposes (mail merges, for example).

      • 7

        Get a database to keep track of complex relationships between items or records. For example, if you are a storekeeper, you could query your database to learn how many widgets are currently on display, how many are stored in your stockrooms, how many have been sold within a certain time period, and whether it is time to reorder from the wholesaler.

    Tips & Warnings

    • You'll find many database programs on the market. Microsoft Access and Claris FileMaker Pro are two of the more commonly used applications.

    • Although database applications are easy to learn if you are doing simple tasks, the learning curve can be steep for more complex operations. Some people make their livings manipulating complex databases.

    Related Searches

    Read Next:

    Comments

    You May Also Like

    • How to Use Excel As a Database

      Many people use Excel as a database. Excel can be a convenient way to store information as a database as long as...

    • Why Do Companies Use Databases?

      Companies use databases to centralize storage of their electronic information and make it easy to find and cross-reference information about their business...

    • How to Use a Database Template in Access 2007

      Some database templates are included in Access 2007 and are frequently used by beginners to create applications without knowing anything about database...

    • How to Program Microsoft Access

      Microsoft Access is a relational database system that is fully integrated with the Microsoft Office application suite. Although Microsoft Access stores information...

    • How to Choose Database Software

      Database programs store, sort, categorize, import and export data. Businesses use them for products, prices, mailing lists, personnel, customer information and other...

    • How to use the MeL Database to Get Free Chilton Downloads

      Follow these few steps to learn how to get free Chilton downloads for any car, truck, or rc vehicle. The information contained...

    • How to Use C# to Modify an Access Database

      It's useful to know how to modify a Microsoft Office Access 2007 database using Microsoft Visual C Sharp (C#) if you need...

    • Church Database Programs

      Church Database Programs. The strength and impact of a church in a community is based on the people and relationships within the...

    • How to Use Open Office Database

      Microsoft Office is recognized as the most popular office productivity suite. However, some do not want to use Office because it can...

    • How to Use a Microsoft Access Program

      Microsoft Access is the database program that is included with Microsoft's Office suite. While not as intuitive and user-friendly as most other...

    • Why Use a Relational Database for Your Website?

      Relational databases organize the data for a website in categories, with data items divided into tables representing logical entities and columns representing...

    • How to Use ACT Database Software

      ACT Database Software, manufactured by Sage Software, debuted in 1987 and has long been a favorite of many businesses for contact management....

    • What Is a Microsoft Access Database?

      Comments. You May Also Like. How to Download Microsoft Access. Microsoft Access is a database program that is included in the Professional...

    • Microsoft Database Programs

      Microsoft Database Programs. Microsoft has developed several database software programs. A database is an organized collection of data, and several applications exist...

    • Database Publishing Software

      Database publishing software refers to programs capable of retrieving raw catalog or product data stored in a database and outputting the information...

    • Uses for a Database

      A database is a collection of data arranged for easy and quick searching and retrieval. There are databases in every aspect of...

    • Why Use Microsoft Office Access?

      Microsoft Office Access is a software application that enables you to create databases to store various kinds of information. Microsoft presents Access...

    • The Use of Databases in the Classroom

      One of the primary goals teachers have is to have students use higher level thinking. Using databases in the classroom can encourage...

    • How To Do Database Programming With Visual Basic

      Microsoft Visual Basic was made to make programming easy, and it also has many built-in parts that help a programmer connect to...

    • How to Use XML Instead of Database

      Many websites and applications now use XML instead of databases. Having your data stored in XML has a number of advantages. XML...

    Follow eHow

    Related Ads