Applications
The data in a database is only useful when it can be accessed quickly and easily. An application provides an efficient and flexible way to access data.
An application is a program that solves a problem. It is an interface that provides end users with the information they want from the database and the tools they use to manipulate the data.
• The information is provided by a set of queries that access data to meet specific needs.
• The tools are provided by menus that can be used to add, delete, or change data. Menu items can also access other Ingres tools to run reports.
An application accesses a particular database. Although all users of the application are accessing the same database, different people use the application in different ways to solve different parts of the problem. For example, assume a company's customer orders are stored in a database. An order clerk can use an application to enter a new order into the database, while a supply manager might use it to check on inventory amounts. An application can also allow a single user to access related information in different ways to perform a variety of tasks.
Each application has an owner, a creation date, and a modification date. The owner is the person who creates the application.