Tuple#Relational model

The term tuple is in the computer science for ordered collections of values ​​(one-dimensional arrays) and - used as a synonym for the record - especially in the relational algebra. His values ​​are called attributes (data field).

The " n-tuple " or shortened " tuple " refers to a collection of any of a number n of attributes.

The attributes are thus synonymous with "fields" (and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for " columns" used That's basically not quite correct, because a table column covers the same field of 0 or more lines -. Thus forms a vector whose complex content ( not atomic ) is. a field always belongs to exactly one data record and thus has atomic content ).

For clarity and as an analogy of the mathematical Cantor's concept of set is headed sometimes. Unlike the tuple but essentially flat in no particular order of its elements, a tuple implies: its attributes (fields ) must always appear in the same order.

• Database Theory
• Theoretical computer science