< database > (Or "relational model") A data model introduced by E.F. Codd in 1970, particularly well suited for business data management. In this model, data are organised in tables . The set of names of the columns is called the "schema" of the table.
Here is an example table with the schema (account number, amount) and 3 lines.
account number amount -------------- --------- 12343243546456 +30000.00 23149875245824 +2345.33 18479827492874 -123.25
The data can be manipulated using a relational algebra . SQL is a standard language for talking to a database built on the relational model (a " relational database ").
["A relational model for large shared data banks" Communications of ACM 13:6, pp 377-387].
(1998-10-05)