Online glossary
Use the alphabetical list below to find words beginning with each letter.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Acceptance Test
Once software is written it must be tested – testing checks for errors in the programming and flaws in the design. Acceptance testing is carried out by the users (with the assistance of the project team). The purpose of the acceptance test is to check that the system does what the users require of it – that it is fit for purpose. System and Acceptance Test is a stage in the system development lifecycle.
Access
MS Access is a Microsoft’s relational database, database management system . It is essentially a desktop package but it can be used on a server and it can be accessed using SQL.
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D
Database (DB)
A file management system that holds all (or most) of a system’s / organisation’s data within one conceptual file and provides sophisticated methods to access that data. Databases are managed using database management system (DBMS) software, e.g. MS Access, My SQL and Oracle.
Database Management System (DBMS)
Software used to: setup, update, access and maintain a database.
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R
Relational Database
A database organised in accordance with relational principles. The relational approach to database design is credited to Edgar Codd who worked in the IBM laboratories in the late 1960s. The relational approach is based on the mathematical concepts of relations and sets. Database management systems such as Access, MySQL and Oracle are based on the relational approach.
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S
SQL
This is gaining unauthorised access to a website’s database. The mechanism is to submit SQL statements, through a web form, that are then executed – typically to select and download data.
System Development Lifecycle
The stages that developers must go through to create an information system.
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