In databases, information is stored in records that consist of a number of fields. When setting up a database, the designer must indicate what type of data a particular field is representing

Data type	Stores	Video store example
Text	Alphanumeric characters	Video Title, Certificate, Supplier, Surname, Forename, Title, Address Telephone
Memo	Alphanumeric characters (usually several sentences or paragraphs)	Often used for comments or notes
Number	Numeric values (integers or fractional values)	Rentals, week number
Date/time	Dates and times	Issue date, return date
Currency	Monetary values	Daily rate
Counter	A numeric value that is automatically incremented for each new record added to a table	Video ID, Member ID
Yes/No	Boolean values	Overdue?
OLE object	OLE objects, graphics or other binary data	None, but could be used to display a photo of a member on screen

Activity 2

Individually take five minutes to gather together a list of the personal information that you might record about friends. This might include:

Names
Addresses
Birthdays
Telephone numbers
E-mail addresses

See how many other pieces of information you might want to record.

Data Types

Activity 2