What is data source in computer

A data source (sometimes called a data file) is a place from which data is obtained. The source can be any data in any file format, as long as the program understands how to read it. 

A data source, also called a data file, is a collection of records that store data. A data source can be any document organized to provide structure for the receiving program to pull data. You can use any text file as a data source, such as a plain text file or a database file.

The text file can come from programs like Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro. In theory, you can use any Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) database as a data source. You can also create the file in spreadsheets from Excel, Quattro Pro, and similar programs. The data source can also be a simple table in a word processor document.

Various applications can use a data source, including database applications like Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet programs, word processors like Microsoft Word, web browsers, and offline programs.

A data source file used in one program for one purpose might not be relevant in a different program, even if both programs use data source files. In other words, a particular data source is subjective to the application using the data.

A typical scenario when it comes to Microsoft Word using a data source is for Word to make a mail merge from data taken from an Excel document. For example, a data source for a mail merge in Microsoft Word might be a CSV file. This file contains contacts that can be automatically written to a Word document for printing envelopes with the correct names and addresses. However, such a data source might not be useful in another context.

Another data source might be a file that records the times that people check in to a doctor's office. A program can use the data source to aggregate all the check-in times and display the times on a website or use the information within an application, either for viewing the content or interacting with another data source.

An address book contact can be used in some scenarios because there's a column for a name, address, and email account.

Data sources might also come from a live feed. For example, iTunes can use a live feed to play internet radio stations. The feed is the data source, and the iTunes application is what displays the feed.

FAQ

• How do you change the data source in a pivot table?

  To change the data source of an Excel Pivot Table, go to the Analyze tab and select Change Data Source > Change Data Source. Next, select a table or range and click OK.
  

• What does Access call a form that doesn't have a connection to a data source?

  An 'unbound form' in Microsoft Access is a form that is not bound to any database table or query. However, it can still contain commands, labels, or other controls to operate the application.

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All supported database platforms have a similar configuration of tables and data sources.

The basic architecture of an Oracle database includes many different logical and physical storage structures.

Typically, an Oracle database is divided into one or more logical storage structures. The highest-level structures are table spaces and user schema. These structures provide two categories that data may be logically grouped. Data belonging to one table space may belong to different schema, and data for one schema may belong to different table spaces.

The physical database storage units, data files, are associated with table spaces according to the logical structure of the database. For example, table spaces may be created to separate different categories of data. Table spaces are divided into smaller logical divisions called segments, which are divided further into extents and data blocks. These levels of data storage allow control over how the data files are allocated for physical storage.

A schema is a set of objects associated with a user. Schema objects include tables and other data structures used by the database. These objects do not directly correspond to data files stored on the server. Each object's data is stored in one or more data files within a table space. You can specify the space allocated for tables and a few other objects.

A schema is a set of objects associated with a user. Schema objects include tables and other data structures used by the database. These objects do not directly correspond to data files stored on the server. Each object's data is stored in one or more data files within a table space. You can specify the space allocated for tables and a few other objects.

This diagram illustrates the Oracle structure with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne:

SQL Server provides a comprehensive platform that makes it easy to design, build, manage, and use data warehousing solutions which enable your organization to make effective business decisions based on timely and accurate information. SQL Server delivers nine separate databases with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne during an installation.

This diagram illustrates the SQL structure with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne:

DB2 for IBM i is the relational database manager that is fully integrated and provides numerous functions and features such as triggers, stored procedures, and dynamic bitmapped indexing that serve a wide variety of application types. These applications range from traditional host-based applications to client/server solutions to business intelligence applications.

In the IBM i system, each file (also called a file object) has a description that describes the file characteristics and how the data associated with the file is organized into records and the fields in the records. The operating system uses this description whenever a file is processed.

DB2 for IBM i installations store all tables in their respective data sources in a single database.

This diagram illustrates the DB2 for IBM i structure with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne:

Every data element in a database is stored in a column of a table, and each column is defined to have a data type. The data type places limits on the types of values you can put into the column and the operations you can perform on them. DB2 for IBM i includes a set of built-in data types with defined characteristics and behaviors: character strings, numerics, datetime values, large objects, nulls, graphic strings, binary strings, and datalinks.

When organizing the data into tables, it is beneficial to group tables and other related objects together. This is done by defining a schema. Information about the schema is kept in the system catalog tables of the database to which you are connected. As other objects are created, they can be placed within this schema.

Each schema has a set of four dedicated tablespaces in which the data is physically stored. IBM recommends that each tablespace be stored on a separate disk drive.

This diagram illustrates the IBM DB2 for LUW (Linux, UNIX, Windows) 8.1.4 structure with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne: