data independence

Data independence means that the way data is stored and structured can be changed without affecting the applications that use the data. This separation allows organizations to modify their database design or storage methods without rewriting the programs that access the data. It helps ensure flexibility and ease of maintenance, enabling updates to storage or structure without disrupting day-to-day operations or requiring major changes to software systems. Essentially, it provides a layer of abstraction that isolates users and application programs from changes in the underlying data organization.