In a relational database management system, a fundamental concept is a set of attribute-value pairs representing a single entity or relationship. These pairs are ordered and comprise a record within a database table. For instance, in a table representing customers, one such record might contain information about a specific individual, including their name, address, and phone number. Each of these individual data points corresponds to a particular attribute defined for the customer table.
The significance of these records lies in their role as the building blocks of relational databases. They enable the organization and storage of structured data in a logical and accessible manner. The ability to retrieve, update, and manipulate this information efficiently is crucial for database performance and application functionality. Historically, the development of this concept was a key step in the evolution of relational database technology, providing a standardized way to represent data.
