Understanding Entity Types in Databases

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Question:

What is the definition of entity type in database?

Answer:

In the context of databases, an entity type is a fundamental concept used in data modeling, particularly in the Entity-Relationship (ER) model. An entity type represents a category of objects or things in the real world that have a distinct existence and can be identified. Each entity type is defined by its attributes, which are the properties or characteristics that describe the entity.

For example, in a database for a school, you might have the following entity types:

  1. Student: This entity type could have attributes such as StudentID, Name, DateOfBirth, and Email.
  2. Course: This entity type might include attributes like CourseID, CourseName, and Credits.
  3. Instructor: This entity type could have attributes such as InstructorID, Name, and Department.

In summary, an entity type is a blueprint for creating instances (or entities) that share the same attributes and characteristics, allowing for structured data organization and management within a database.