in/on a database

13:06 Apr 11, 2008
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Computers (general)
English term or phrase: in/on a database
Is information held *in* or *on* a database?

Up to now, I have always assumed that "on" was correct, but a client has pulled me up about it. Is this perhaps a British-American thing, with "on" being the preferred BE solution and "in" AE?

A Google straw poll search - for what it's worth - gives twice as many hits for "in", but that may be due to a preference for AE among English speakers the world over.

Can someone shed some light on the matter?

Many thanks!
Jan Liebelt
France
Local time: 09:05


SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +18in a database
Brie Vernier
4 +4on a database
PeggyStrachan
4 +2see comment
cmwilliams (X)
5in the database
Matthew McGuinness


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
on a database


Explanation:
you hold information on a database

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Note added at 13 mins (2008-04-11 13:20:01 GMT)
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it is similar to holding information on tape etc.

PeggyStrachan
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cmwilliams (X): both 'in' and 'on' are used
4 hrs

agree  Ahmet ALTANL (X): agree with cmwilliams
23 hrs

agree  Phong Le: on a database found more than in a database on google
1 day 11 hrs

agree  Vicky Nash: agree with cmwilliams, and I wouldn't have thought that there is a major difference - both must be understandable surely? But I, personally, as a BE speaker would say "on".
2 days 20 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
see comment


Explanation:
It must be a US/UK thing - my natural reaction was to use 'on' and I'm fairly certain it's used here in the UK. Just out of curiosity, I did a Google search for "held on a database" and got over 27,000 hits, slightly more than for "held in a database". I don't think it can be considered to be wrong.

The information provided on this list will be held on a database and will be used for circulating correspondence relating to the. work of this group. ...
www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/calendar/views/entries/show...

This information will be held on a database. From time to time we will send you information about the University. Your details will not be passed on to a ...
www.worc.ac.uk/courses/112.html

nformation was held on a database, whereas the subsequent response. suggested that information was not held on a database. The complainant again ...
www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/decisionnotices/2006/fs5012...

In any case, they have face-recognition software that can perform the task of matching photos held on a database in seconds. ...
www.newstatesman.com/200309150014





cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:05
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ahmet ALTANL (X)
18 hrs
  -> Thanks

agree  Seema Ugrankar
1 day 4 hrs
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +18
in a database


Explanation:
As an AE, I have *never* heard of putting information "on" a database. Information must be "input" into the db, and is then "in" the db, unless you are talking about "information *about* the db", in which case "on" would be an appropriate substitute -- as in "Please send us more information on (about, regarding) your xyz database".

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Note added at 16 mins (2008-04-11 13:23:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Make that "As a native speaker of AE ..." ... and I disagree with Peggy's analogy to holding information "on tape", as a tape is a physical entity, while a database is not. It is STORED on a physical entity, but is itself just a large collection of bit and bytes and I could never see myself putting something ON them. But that's just me.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days4 mins (2008-04-13 13:10:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Isn't as easy as all WHAT, Jan?

a) I never said it was easy; I simply stated my native AE perspective on the matter
b) A computer and a server are both physical entities, see my explanation above. A system, on the other hand, is again not a physical entity, so I would have/put data/information "in the system" and not on it.

Nevertheless, I have given it some more thought and done some more googling .... As a native AE speaker, I would not likely speak of "holding" information in/on a db anyway, but rather "storing" it there/it being stored there. That may be where the AE/BE difference comes into play. 'Googling "stored in * database" vs. ""stored on * database" ("*" to account for the possibilities of a/the/our and/or further modifiers) you will notice a TREMENDOUS difference, and replacing "stored" with "held" paints its own picture, as well.

Finally, it may be worth noting that at least 5 of my peers below are native speakers of BE.

Brie Vernier
Germany
Local time: 09:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: ... and yet I suspect you would store information *on* a computer or *on* a server. You see, it isn't as easy as all that.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  PoveyTrans (X)
1 min
  -> Thanks, Simon

agree  ~Ania~: I would say "in" as well although I have heard "on" used too
8 mins
  -> Thanks, Ania

agree  Enza Longo: totally in agreement
8 mins
  -> Thanks, Enza

agree  Chris Rowson (X): agree absolutely with all of the above, as native BE - well databases have always been AE, haven´t they
11 mins
  -> Thanks, Chris ... and yeah, you have a point there ; )

agree  orientalhorizon
16 mins
  -> Thanks, orientalhorizon

agree  Ken Cox: Fully agree (similarly, you put or store data in a file, but you can have data on file)
28 mins
  -> Thanks, Ken.

agree  Armorel Young: yes - although I could just about imagine saying "we haven't got you on our database"
50 mins
  -> Thanks, Armorel, but I still couldn't bring myself to say that ...

agree  jccantrell: In the USA, this is the way we term it.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, JC

agree  Can Altinbay
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Can

agree  Jack Doughty
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Jack

agree  Damon Erickson
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Damon

agree  kmtext: I agree with Armorel about this. Information is in a database, but I've heard 'on' being used when referring to people. Maybe it's a BE thing.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, kmtext! But you guys can also be "on" a seminar, which I could never say ; )

agree  BrettMN: Always "in," never "on"
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Brett

agree  Marc Van de Velde, MNI
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marc

agree  Claire Chapman
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Claire

agree  Milena Sahakian
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Milena

agree  veratek: for US EN
1 day 12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Vera

agree  V_Nedkov
2 days 23 hrs
  -> Thanks, V_N
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4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
in the database


Explanation:
In is by far the most common usage. However, there is a small group of cases where 'on' becomes more acceptable. For example if you are making a very general statement about the data contents of the database.

Example sentence(s):
  • We have a million car registrations on the database.

    Reference: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/17/dna_v_rozzers/
Matthew McGuinness
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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