Data
Data is the raw material that an information system transforms into useful information.
An information system can store data in various locations, called tables. By linking the
tables, the system can extract specific information. Figure 1-10 shows a payroll system that
stores data in four separate tables. Notice that the linked tables work together to supply
19 different data items to the screen form. Users, who would not know or care where the
data is stored, see an integrated form, which is their window into the payroll system