Cursor

Last Updated: September 5, 2011

Definition - What does Cursor mean?

A database cursor is an object used to pinpoint records in a database. Just like a typing cursor is used to alert you where your text will appear, a database cursor also shows you the specific record in a database that is being worked upon.

Techopedia explains Cursor

When a database file is opened, the cursor points to the first record in the file, and using various commands the cursor can move to any location within the file.

When designing a database, the developer must take care not to use too many open cursors. Each cursor uses a (admittedly small) amount of memory. However, if cursors are never closed, that is, discarded after completing their work, they can pile up in memory and cause performance problems.

This definition was written in the context of Databases
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