A database stores data in an organized way so that it can be searched and retrieved later. It should contain one or more tables. A table is much like a spreadsheet, in that it's made up of rows and columns. All rows have the same columns, and each column contains the data itself. If it helps, think of your tables in the same way that you would a table in Excel. Data can be inserted, retrieved, updated, and deleted from a table. The word, created, is generally used instead of inserted, so, collectively, these four functions are affectionately abbreviated as CRUD .