The word "external level" is spelled with eleven letters and three syllables. The first syllable "ex" is pronounced as /ɛks/ and the second syllable "ter" is pronounced as /tər/. The third syllable "nal" is pronounced as /nəl/. The stress is on the second syllable "ter". The word "external" means existing or occurring outside, while "level" refers to a position relative to a base point. Together, "external level" describes a position that is outside of a particular system or structure.
The term "external level" refers to a concept within the field of computer science and database management. It represents one of the three levels in the three-schema architecture, which is an approach to organizing and structuring data in a database system.
The external level, also known as the user level or view level, is the outermost layer of the architecture. It focuses on the presentation and representation of data to the end-users or application programs. In other words, it encompasses the views or perspectives that individual users have of the data stored in the database.
At the external level, different users or user groups can have their own customized views of the database. These views are tailored to suit the specific information needs and requirements of the users, providing a simplified and user-friendly interface. The external level shields the end-users from the complex underlying database structure and operations.
The external level acts as an intermediary between the internal level (conceptual level) and the conceptual level (internal level) of the three-schema architecture. It ensures data independence, meaning changes made at the internal or conceptual level do not affect the external views or the applications utilizing them.
In summary, the external level represents the user's perspective and provides a customized view of the database. It helps in managing user access, defining data manipulation operations, and providing a user-friendly interface while maintaining independence from internal structural changes.
The word "external" derives from the Latin word "externus", which means "outer" or "on the outside". It entered English through the Old French word "externe". The term "level" is derived from the Latin word "libra", which referred to a balance or scale. Over time, it expanded to encompass the concept of a plane or position parallel to the ground. The modern sense of "level" came into existence around the 14th century, denoting a tool or instrument used to measure or establish a level surface. Therefore, the term "external level" combines the idea of something outer or outside with a tool or instrument used to determine a balanced or level position in relation to the external surroundings.