What type of data hierarchy component typically includes similar information entities?

The concept of data hierarchy in databases involves organizing data into different levels of abstraction, which helps in managing and structuring information effectively. A file is a fundamental data hierarchy component that typically contains a collection of records related to a specific entity or subject. Each record stores related data typically in fields, which in turn can be made up of characters or strings of text.

When considering the characteristics of a file, it stands out as containing multiple records that hold similar types of information. For instance, a file can consist of records for employees, each record containing fields such as name, employee ID, position, and salary. This grouping within a file allows for easier retrieval and management of data that share a common context or theme.

In contrast, other data hierarchy components like fields and characters represent smaller subdivisions of data. A field is used to define a specific piece of information within a record, while a character is the most basic unit of data, representing a single letter, number, or symbol. Records are collections of fields pertaining to a single entity, but they are not composed of multiple records. Therefore, it is the file that encompasses a higher-level organization of data, containing multiple records and ultimately enabling the structuring of information entities that are similar.