Q. What is a Database Management System.

Is Oracle one, or an SQL server one, a Client one or is Microsoft Word a DBMS.

I know it might be a stupid question but it would really help.

Can you give any examples please.

Thanks

A dbms is the part between your program and the raw data. The dbms handles the requests (querys, add, remove) of your program. The dbms can be mysql, mssql, access, ado, ... It calculates the fysical location of the selected rows in the datafile and returns those rows.

DBMS is a Database Management System. Microsoft SQL Server is one (and very good it is, too), Oracle, IBM DB2, Sybase, MySQL are all DBMSs.

DBMSs store data in things called tables like a grid, although they are not spreadsheets. They allow you to query data, store data and manipulate data. All posts in this forum are stored in a MySQL database in a table called Posts (probably). Each table will have a number of columns and each column will describe an aspect of the thing you're storing. ie. Post table might have columns such as MessageText, Smilies, Title, etc

They do not:
Present data - browsers and applications do this.

HTH
keymoo.

Thanks for your replies they have helped a great deal, it's great to have a very site like this.

Thanks again.