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Q5-4 How Do Database Applications Make Databases More Useful?

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Tasks

database table data to make it more informative and more easily updated. Application programs
also have features that provide security, maintain data consistency, and handle special cases.
The specific purposes of the four elements of a database application are:

Forms View data; insert new, update existing, and delete existing data
Reports Structured presentation of data using sorting, grouping, Filtering, and other
operations

Queries Search based on data values provided by the user
Application Provide security, data consistency, and special purpose processing, e.g., handle
programs out-of-stock situations

Database applications came into prominence in the 1990s and were based on the technology
available at that time. Many existing systems today are long-lived extensions to those applications;
the ERP system SAP (discussed in Chapter 7) is a good example of this concept. You should expect
to see these kinds of applications during the early years of your career.
Today, however, many database applications are based on newer technology that employs
browsers, the Web, and related standards. These browser-based applications can do everything the
older ones do, but they are more dynamic and better suited to today’s world. To see why, consider
each type.