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===What Is a Database?===

You can define a database as a collection of data on one topic. It is organised in a way allowing to easily browse the information, make changes or add new items. 

Look at this diagram for one of the above examples: a simple phone book.
----[[Image:contact-example.png|172px|center]]
----The above picture shows a set of two contacts each of which is presented on a separate card. It appears that such a card can constitute a single row in a table: 

{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey;"
|+ ''Contacts table''
! '''Name''' !! '''Tel No.'''
|-
| Joan || 699 23 43 12
|-
| Adam || 711 19 77 21
|}

Terms and definitions: A single data which constitutes a part of a greater collection can be called a ''row'' or more professionally a ''record''. The collection is normally called a ''table''. Moreover, the most natural name for the table is one describing the data it offers/stores which is Contacts. Furthermore, each row in the table consists of columns often also called ''fields''. In the table '''''Contacts''''' there are two columns (fields): '''Name''' and '''Tel No.'''. 

For simple uses a single table can make up a database. Many people consider these two equivalent. As you will see, for real databases we usually need more than one table. 

To sum up, you have already got a simple database with one table '''''Contacts'''''.

{{Note|1=Check content at [https://www.zoho.com/creator/database-software-vs-spreadsheet.html www.zoho.com/creator/database-software-vs-spreadsheet.html]}}

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