Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) GCSE Computer Science Practice Exam

Fields in a database are designed to store different types of information, making it essential that they can accommodate various data types. This flexibility allows for the storage of diverse information, such as integers, text, dates, or even boolean values. By permitting different data types within the fields, databases can cater to various types of data that an application might require, enabling more robust data management.

The ability to have fields with different data types is crucial for creating efficient and functional databases. For example, a database might have one field for storing names (text), another for storing birth dates (date), and yet another for storing account balances (numeric). This variety allows the database to be structured in a way that accurately reflects the nature of the data being recorded.

In contrast, the other options suggest limitations that do not align with the fundamental principles of how databases operate. Fields must not have uniform data types, as this would hinder the database’s ability to function properly and manage different kinds of information effectively. Similarly, having a restriction that fields can only contain numeric data or must always be empty would severely limit their utility and contradict the diverse needs of data storage.