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A database management program is software for organizing, storing, finding, changing, and controlling access to data in a database. The more established technical term is database management system (DBMS). The database is the organized information; the DBMS is the software used to work with it.
What is a database management program?
It is a computer program, or set of programs, that manages information stored in a database. An educational guide hosted by ERIC defines it as a program that “manages (organizes, stores, and retrieves) data (or information)” (Database Management Systems educational guide, 1986).
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In technical writing, database management system and its abbreviation, DBMS, are the usual terms. An archival exhibit hosted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reproduces the IBM Dictionary of Computing definition: a DBMS is a computer-based system for defining, creating, manipulating, controlling, managing, and using databases (USPTO-hosted exhibit, 2013).
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Is a database the same as a DBMS?
No. A database is the organized collection of information. A DBMS is the software that lets people or applications create, access, retrieve, change, and manage that information. A DBMS may be part of a larger system or supplied as a stand-alone system. The IRS describes it more briefly as software used to access and retrieve stored data (IRS Internal Revenue Manual).
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What does a DBMS do?
Its functions vary by system, but a DBMS can support several parts of working with data:
- Define structure: Specify how information is organized in the database.
- Store and manipulate data: Add, update, or otherwise change records.
- Query and retrieve: Find information that matches a request.
- Control access and integrity: Manage use of the data and help preserve its validity and relationships.
- Support maintenance: Depending on the system, provide functions such as backup, recovery, validation, security, and monitoring.
Federal standards guidance describes data definition, manipulation, querying, and integrity—including transaction controls and referential constraints—as basic DBMS services (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs standards guidance). That guidance is dated and explains concepts; it should not be read as a specification for every current product. No single feature set or interface is guaranteed across all DBMS software.
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Where are database management programs used?
They can manage many kinds of records. An ERIC-hosted educational guide gives examples including customer details, library books, flight reservations, law-enforcement records, and student enrollment or test scores.
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For example, a library database might contain book and borrowing records. Its DBMS provides ways to organize those records, locate a book, or update a loan. This illustrates the distinction between the information being stored and the software used to manage it; it does not describe a particular library system.
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What should you call it?
“Database management program” is clear educational wording. If you are reading technical documentation or discussing database software, DBMS or database management system is the more commonly established label. Capabilities depend on the particular system and its intended use.
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