What is a Database?
Observer uses data that is structured in the form of a database. A simplified (but incomplete) definition of a database is: a group of related files whose data can be linked, filtered, sorted, and controlled in a variety of ways.
Tables
The main files of a database are known as tables. Observer uses many special-purpose tables to access and record its data.
Records
Every table is composed of a series of records. For example, every observation is recorded as a record in a table.
Fields
Every record is composed of a series of fields. For example, a record in the observations table includes the teacher's name, grade level, subject observed, date, and time.
Saving Data
When working with databases, you don't explicitly save your data as you do with other types of files and documents. Instead, the program saves automatically as you work by posting changes to individual records as you enter data and move from one record to the next. When you close the program, your data will have already been saved.