Main Characteristics of the Database Approach

Main Characteristics of the Database Approach

* Self-describing nature of a database system: 
* A DBMS catalog stores the description  of the database. 	
   called meta-data). 
   allows the DBMS software to work with different databases.

* Insulation between programs and data: Called program-data independence. 

* Allows changing data storage structures and operations without having to change the DBMS access programs.

* Application programs are independent of data representation and storage details.
* The structure of data files is stored in the DBMS catalog separately from the access programs.
	E.g. a file access program may be written in such a way that it can access only STUDENT records of the structure

* Data Abstraction: A data model is used to hide storage details and present the users with a conceptual view  of  the database.

* Support of multiple views of the data: Each user may see a different view of the database, which describes only  the data of interest to that user.