What is an essential characteristic of relational databases?

Relational databases are fundamentally designed to store data in structured formats using tables. Each table consists of rows and columns, where each row represents a unique record and each column represents a particular attribute of that record. A key aspect of relational databases is the use of relationships between these tables, which allows for the organization and retrieval of data in a meaningful way. This characteristic supports various operations, such as joins, which enable the combination of data from different tables based on related fields.

The capability to access and manipulate data through these relationships is a core principle of relational databases, following the relational model proposed by E.F. Codd. This model emphasizes the importance of relationships in data organization and allows for greater flexibility and efficiency in data management, enabling developers to maintain data integrity and reduce redundancy.

In contrast, other options do not accurately describe essential characteristics of relational databases. They are not limited to only text data; they can handle various data types, including integers, dates, and more. Additionally, relational databases can be stored locally or remotely, depending on the application’s design and requirements. Finally, while some algorithms may be used for complex queries or data processing, the fundamental characteristics of relational databases do not inherently require complex algorithms to function. Thus, the ability to access