a record is a collection of related tables

In relational databases, data is stored in tables — but the smart part is how those tables connect to each other.

People often say:

✅ “A record is a collection of related tables.”

What does this mean?

Let’s break it down in a simple way.

What Is a Table in a Relational Database?

A table is like a spreadsheet:

• Columns = fields (name, email, age)
• Rows = records (one person’s data)

Example Table: Students

Each row is one record.

What Is a Record?

A record is one complete set of information inside a table.

Example:
(101, Ayesha, ayesha@mail.com) ← This is 1 record

But in relational databases, a record can exist across multiple tables.

That means:

• One table stores basic info
• Another table stores related data
• Together they form one complete record

How Is a Record a Collection of Related Tables?

Let’s take an example:

Students

Courses

Student_Courses (Who studies what)

✅ Now, Ayesha’s full “record” exists in 3 related tables
→ Name comes from Students
→ Course list comes from Student_Courses
→ Course details come from Courses

So her record = collection of related tables

This is the core idea of relational databases.

Why Do Databases Store Records in Multiple Tables?

Because it prevents:

❌ duplication
❌ errors
❌ inconsistency
❌ slow searching

✅ One piece of data is saved only once
✅ Other tables reference it when needed
✅ Makes database fast, clean, accurate

This method is called Normalization.

How SQL Connects These Tables

SQL joins tables to rebuild the full record:

SELECT Students.Name, Courses.Course_Name
FROM Students
JOIN Student_Courses ON Students.Student_ID = Student_Courses.Student_ID
JOIN Courses ON Student_Courses.Course_ID = Courses.Course_ID;

This gives:

This proves records come from multiple related tables.

Real-Life Examples

For one person, data is spread across many tables — but linked using key

• MySQL Documentation: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/
• PostgreSQL Docs: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/

FAQs

1. What is a record in a database?

A record is one complete set of data stored in a table. In relational databases, a record may connect to other tables, forming a complete data profile of a person or item.

2. Why is a record called a collection of related tables?

Because one user’s full data is not stored in one place.
Example: name in one table, orders in another, payments in another.
All tables connect through IDs, forming one complete record.

3. What is each row in a relational database table called?

Each row is called a record or tuple.
It represents one item, one person, or one event in the table.

4. What is a two-way relative frequency table?

It is a table that shows the relationship between two variables and their relative frequencies. This type of table is used in statistics to compare categories and percentages.

Example:

5. Why do relational databases use multiple tables instead of one?

Because it avoids duplication and keeps data clean, accurate, fast, and easy to update.
Storing everything in one table makes data messy and slow.

Conclusion

When we say “a record is a collection of related tables,” it means:

✔ Data is separated into different tables
✔ Tables link using keys
✔ SQL joins them to create a full record
✔ This makes databases faster, cleaner, and safer

This is why relational databases power modern systems like banking, e-commerce, hospitals, and schools.