Glossary

Term Definition

1NF First Normal Form (1NF) is a form of normalization in which each field has a single value so that data
can be sorted in any way possible.
3NF Third Normal Form (3NF) is a form of normalization in which a value change in a non-key column in
one table does not necessitate a change in another non-key column within an entity.
Alias A replacement name for a column or table.
ALL A SQL keyword used to display records within a query if all records within that query match related
records in a subquery.
ALTER A SQL keyword used to change the definition of a database object.
ANY A SQL keyword used to find matching records from a query to a subquery.
AVG A SQL keyword used to get the average amounts for one or more fields within a query.
Backup A copy of data stored elsewhere to be restored if original data is lost or damaged.
BETWEEN A SQL keyword used to define a range of values used for a filter within a query.
Bit A data type that is either a zero or a one.
Boolean A data type that allows for values to be either true or false.
Byte A unit of measurement used to determine how much memory a piece of data will take.
Cartesian A combining of two unrelated tables within a query.
Product
Clustered Index An index based on the primary key of an entity.
Column A property that defines data in an entity. Also known as a field.
Comparison A symbol used to define a filter within a query, for example, the greater than or equal to symbol (>=).
Operator
Composite Key A primary key consisting of two or more fields. Also known as a compound key.
Compound Key A primary key consisting of two or more fields. Also known as a composite key.
Constraint A limitation on what can be entered in a data field within an entity.
COUNT A SQL keyword used to show the number of records within a query.
CREATE A SQL keyword used to add an object to a database or add an entire database to an instance of SQL
Server.
Data Information that is organized, entered into files, and then retrievable as needed.
Data Type A setting that defines what kind of data can be entered in a field, such as a number, date, or text
string.
Database A file that stores data and allows people to search and create reports from the data.
Datetime A data type that holds dates and times.
DELETE A SQL keyword used to remove data from an entity.
Differential A backup of data that has changed since the last full backup.
Backup
DISTINCT A keyword used to return records without duplicate values among fields specified in a query.
DROP A SQL keyword used to remove a database object.
Entity A database object with organized rows and columns as data. Also known as a table.
Entry Adding a row of data to an entity.
ERD An Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a visual representation of a database, its entities, and the
relationships among those entities.
EXEC A SQL command used to run a stored procedure.
Field A property that defines data in an entity. Also known as a column.
Foreign Key An entity field used to help create a one-to-many relationship between entities.
Full Backup A backup of an entire database.

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 Term Definition

Full Outer Join A join that shows all records from both tables within a defined join.
GROUP BY A SQL keyword set used to define fields that should be aggregated when aggregates are used within
a query.
IN A SQL keyword used to define multiple values used for filtering criteria within a query.
Index A virtual table used to sort information in an entity and make that information easier to retrieve than
without the index.
Inner Join A join that shows related records from both tables within the join.
Input Parameter A value a person enters to use as a filter when running a stored procedure.
INSERT INTO A SQL statement that copies records from one entity to another.
Integer A data type consisting of whole numbers.
INTERSECT A keyword used to return matching records between two entities.
Join The combining of two entities within a single query, with data being related on a common field
between the two entities.
Left Outer Join A join that shows all records from the first table defined in a join.
LIKE A SQL keyword that allows for the use of wildcards to return approximate matches of criteria within a
query.
MAX A SQL keyword used to get the largest value within a range of values.
MIN A SQL keyword used to get the smallest value within a range of values.
Nonclustered An index based on an entity field that is not the primary key of an entity.
Index
Normalization The process of ensuring that an entity in a database can work with other entities as needed from an
organization and relationship standpoint.
NULL A SQL keyword used to indicate an empty value within a field.
Nvarchar A data type that holds a set number of characters in a field and allows for Unicode characters.
Object Explorer A window in SQL Server that shows databases and their objects within each server instance.
One-to-Many An entity relationship between a primary key in one entity and a foreign key in another entity.
Relationship
One-to-One A relationship between two primary keys in two entities.
Relationship
ORDER BY A keyword set used to sort data within a dataset.
Orphaned A record entered in the many table of a one-to-many relationship that has a value in its foreign key
Record that does not exist in the primary key of the entity used on the other side of the relationship.
Outer Join A join that shows all records from one side of the join and related records from the other side of the
join.
Output A value that is returned from running a stored procedure.
Parameter
Parameter A value specified, usually by a user, that is used to retrieve data using that value when running a
stored procedure.
Primary Key An entity field that ensures that every record in an entity is unique.
Principle of A permissions principle that ensures people with access to a database have the permissions they
Least Privilege need to perform their job duties, but those permissions are the only ones they have.
Query A statement used to retrieve desired data from a database.
Record A block of data with values for each field or column. Also known as a row.
Referential In a one-to-many relationship, assurance that a value is entered in the primary key of the entity being
Integrity used as the one side of the relationship before that same value is allowed on the many side of the
relationship.
Relational A database with entities that have data that can be joined with each other through a field common to
Database both entities.

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 Term Definition

Restore The process of replacing lost or corrupt data with a copy of that data.
RETURN A keyword used to generate and hold a value that is the result of a stored procedure.
Right Outer Join A join that shows all records from the second table defined in a join.
Role A defined set of permissions within a database.
Row A block of data with values for each field or column. Also known as a record.
Runtime Error An error that occurs during the execution of code.
SELECT A SQL keyword used to retrieve data from a database.
SELECT INTO A SQL statement that copies records from one entity into a new entity.
Self Join A join that relates two fields from the same entity to each other.
SQL Structured Query Language (SQL) is a keyword-based language used in writing queries on data within
databases.
SQL Keyword A word, part of the language aspect of SQL, used to formulate part of a SQL statement.
SQL Server A server app that stores databases and all related database settings.
SQL Statement A block of code that serves either as a data query or a command to add, update, or remove data or
an object from a database.
Stored A SQL server object that is a saved query for retrieving or changing data.
Procedure
STR A SQL keyword used to convert a number to a string.
SUM A SQL keyword used to total the values for one or more fields within a query.
Syntax Error An error in coding usually caused by improper punctuation, incorrect spelling of a keyword, or an
incorrect ordering of keywords within a code block.
Table A database object with organized rows and columns of data. Also known as an entity.
TOP A SQL keyword used to limit the number of records returned in a query.
TRUNCATE A SQL keyword set used to empty all the data from an entity.
TABLE
Unicode A character type that allows for numbers, letters, and symbols, including foreign language symbols.
UNION A keyword used to return two or more entities as a single dataset within a query.
UPDATE A SQL keyword used to change data within an entity.
VALUES A SQL keyword used as part of an INSERT statement that controls what is added to an entity.
Varchar A data type that holds a set number of characters in a field.
View A SQL Server object that is a saved query for retrieving data.
WHERE A SQL keyword used to filter records from recordset during a query.

61 | Appendix: Glossary Databases Project Workbook, First Edition