The majority of the work in creating a database is in the design phase. As a database designer, your job is to create tables that store data efficiently and prevent users from inadvertently deleting important data. This module introduces joins and views, features of relational database management systems that build on the table construction and normalization techniques you studied earlier in this course.

1. join: An operation that links table records based on data in common fields.
2. View: A database object that enables you to define the columns and rows that a specific user can see. A view can also serve as a tool for enforcing security within your database.

After completing the lessons in this module, you should be able to:

1. Explain how to form table joins
2. Describe the types of joins
3. Define user views
4. Explain how views are stored in an RDBMS
5. List the benefits of creating user views
6. Describe permissions
7. Determine which permissions individual users require

The next lesson introduces you to table joins.