data structures versus data bases???

[husam]

John Roth wrote:

> "husam" <husalwan at sci.kun.nl> wrote in message
> news:3BEFD59B.9000709 at sci.kun.nl...
> 
>>John Roth wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"husam" <husalwan at sci.kun.nl> wrote in message
>>>news:3BED54C2.1010608 at sci.kun.nl...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>yes, i understand the general defenition of data bases and of data
>>>>structures. i should in fact put the question like this:
>>>>is a given dictionary or list of a set of data, a data base?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>In some respect, it depends on your point of view. All of the
>>>data structures quoted in the previous articles in the thread
>>>are in fact collections with different access policies. Data bases
>>>are also collections with different access policies (SQL being
>>>by far the most popular one).
>>>
>>>I normally think of a data structure as an abstract description
>>>of a way to organize a collection, a collection as a concrete
>>>example of a data structure with specific data that is in
>>>memory, and a data base as something that is managed
>>>by an external piece of software, called a 'data base
>>>manager.'
>>>
>>>John Roth
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>ok, the thing that i can make up from this discussion is that the
>>difference between data base and data structures (list, dicts and
>>tuples) lies in the usage policy. i mean data access and data
>>manipulation methods differe, but they might resemble each other by
>>
> the
> 
>>way data is organized. to be more specific, i have builed a small
>>application to manage my audio cds. i made two programs in the first
>>
> one
> 
>>i stored the cds and programs in lists. the length of main_list
>>represent cd numbers, and each cd number is a list of the names of the
>>audio tracks in that cd. in this program i can manipulate the items in
>>any way i desire. in the second program i organized the cds and the
>>audio tracks in dictionaries. to go back to the subject and according
>>
> to
> 
>>what i understood i can now call my application is a data base
>>
> program,
> 
>>or my cds are organized in a data base! right?
>>
> 
> Since there're out there on a permanent file, that's technically
> correct. The formal notion of a data base requires that other programs
> be able to get at the data with 'relative' ease, which is why most
> people don't really regard a flat file as a data base.
> 
> John Roth
> 
>>
> 
> 

ok, now it's clear.
thank you all for your contributions.