Data structure

A data structure, or group of structures, that is created by the data consumer (the entity that retrieves data).

Purpose:

To describe how data (either rows or parameters) from a data store (e.g., database) should be arranged in the consumer’s buffer.

This description allows the data provider (the system supplying the data) to optimize how it moves data into the buffer, improving performance.

Key Concepts:

• Consumer: The application or component that wants to read data.
• Provider: The system that supplies the data (e.g., database engine).
• Accessor: A blueprint or map telling the provider how to lay out the incoming data in memory.
• Bindings: The individual instructions inside the accessor, each specifying where a piece of data (e.g., a column or parameter) should go in memory.

Analogy:

Think of an accessor like a template or form you give to someone filling out data. You’re telling them, “Put the name in box A, the age in box B, and the salary in box C.” This way, the data comes back organized in the format you expect.