What automated software feature allows the user to retrieve data in a form basically the same as it is stored in the database or in a new form altering or combining existing data?

The correct answer reflects a fundamental feature of automated software systems known as retrieval. This feature enables users to access and extract data from a database in its original format, or manipulate it to create new outputs through alteration or combination.

Retrieval is essential in scenarios where users need to generate reports or analyze datasets without altering the underlying data structure. For example, in a real estate context, an agent might use retrieval to pull up listings in a specific area or filter properties based on various criteria while retaining the data's integrity.

The other options, while components of the software’s overall functionality, do not accurately describe the capability of accessing and manipulating data as retrieval does. Input pertains to the data entry aspect, focusing on how information gets into the system. Storage concerns the manner in which data is saved within the database. Analysis, on the other hand, relates to interpreting or examining data, often after retrieval has occurred. Thus, retrieval is the correct term for the feature allowing data access and transformation while preserving or altering its original form.