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Answer» Some main differences between a database management system and a file-processing system are:
- Both systems contain a COLLECTION of DATA and a set of programs which access that data. A database management system coordinates both the physical and the logical access to the data, whereas a file-processing system coordinates only the physical access.
- A database management system REDUCES the amount of data duplication by ensuring that a physical piece of data is available to all programs authorized to have access to it,whereas data written by one program in a file-processing system may not be READABLE by another program.
- A database management system is designed to allow flexible access to data (i.e., queries), whereas a file-processing system is designed to allow predetermined access to data (i.e., compiled programs).
- A database management system is designed to coordinate multiple users accessing the same data at the same time. A file-processing systemis USUALLY designed to allow one or more programs to access different data files at the same time. In a file-processing system, a file can be accessed by two programs concurrently only if both programs have read-only access to the file.
Some main differences between a database management system and a file-processing system are:
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