A request for information from a database. There are three general methods for posing queries: (1) Choosing parameters from a menu: In this method, the database system presents a list of parameters from which to choose. This is perhaps the easiest way to pose a query because the menus provide guidance, but it is also the least flexible; (2) Query by example (QBE): In this method, the system presents a blank record and lets the user specify the fields and values that define the query; and (3) Query language: Many database systems require the user to make requests for information in the form of a stylized query that must be written in a special query language. This is the most complex method because it forces the user to learn a specialized language, but it is also the most powerful.