Safe Records

All computer records must be stored in some sort of logical order in a Database in things we call Tables. Each record has a unique reference number to make it easy to look up by this number. Indexes can then be created on fields so you can lookup by filed name alphabetically. 

Some software uses what we call a flat file in which all data is stored in one file with many fields or like named places to store the information. This practice leads to very large files in a short time because of many blank fields. Like putting one line at the top of 100 pieces of paper, you still use a whole page regardless if it is full of information or not. This practice causes slow retrieval of information because your computer has to look at each page for the information it wants sometime wading through thousands of blank pages before starting a numeric or alphabetic search.  

Databases may have sever hundred fields in one file. This is a very inefficient way to store records, creating large files and subjecting the user to unnecessary wait times  when retrieving data. Networking these databases and further slows performance due to multiple searches at the same time going on. File corruption in this type of structure is common, and index files get out of line frequently and must be rebuilt, some daily taking your database off line while this process completes.

Another type of structure is call a relational database. In this structure several tables are created and related to one and the other on a common KEY. This Key has the same information in each related record. Most applications assign Client Numbers to each client then use this number as the key. So if we wanted to know the purchase history of client # 1 we would not have to look through thousands of entries for client # 1, just look in the table Purchase history, and find client # 1 and read it.

 The Microsoft SQL database used in TimeLegal and our other applications  uses this schema, and also checks to make sure the data is written to the proper field before moving on. Many organizations and large internet search engines use the SQL database for record storage because of it's  speed and data security.