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| What is a database?
"A(n) (organized) collection of data or information." Can be electronic/non-electronic If it is an electronic file - can be as simple as a text file Contains common elements - separated by a delimiter. Delimters separate both field elements and record elements. |
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| Sample file (data.txt) - collected from an instrument. | |||||||||||||
| "0499" 7/15/1994 "SC" 1 17.65 34.274 119.641833333333 15:36:00 "RAM" "0460" 7/15/1994 "SC" 1 17.25 34.2935 119.6 16:43:00 "RAM" "0371" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.27 34.3348333333333 119.642333333333 17:06:00 "RAM" "0060" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.23 34.4361666666667 120.004833333333 15:09:00 "RAM" "0059" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.16 34.437 120.233666666667 13:09:00 "RAM" "0150" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 15.72 34.4066666666667 120.41 11:16:00 "RAM" "0136" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.91 34.4095 119.9495 15:27:00 "RAM" "0122" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 15.62 34.4143333333333 120.415166666667 11:32:00 "RAM" "0009" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 17.05 34.4586666666667 120.1485 14:19:00 "RAM" "0016" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.86 34.453 120.027333333333 14:56:00 "RAM" "0032" 7/16/1994 "SC" 1 16.45 34.4476666666667 120.223666666667 13:23:00 "RAM" |
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Regularly delimited files might be read by a person or a computer. Usually a program reads the file and then processes it. Why?
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| Data separated by tabs. String data enclosed in quotes. One line boldface for emphasis.
Files like this can be created by hand or generated by software or instruments. |
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| Next: Organizing into tables. Previous: Introduction |
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