Database
Also called: DB
An organized store of an app's data, such as users, orders and payments, kept on a server.
Definition
Most apps keep their data in a relational database: a set of tables linked by keys. The screens you test are just a view of this data, so checking the database tells you whether the app really saved what it showed.
In practice
The app says "Order placed", but the orders table has no new row. The bug is in saving, not in the screen.
Learn it in context
Lessons that use this term.
Related terms
- Table (database)A set of rows and columns in a database that holds one kind of thing, like users or orders.
- SQLThe language used to read and change data in relational databases, like SELECT * FROM orders.
- Primary keyA column (usually id) whose value uniquely identifies each row in a table.
- Foreign keyA column that points to the primary key of a row in another table, like orders.user_id → users.id.