DatabasesPart 1

To answer the question “what is a database?”

To understand the basic components of a database and start to plan/create our own.

Aims

Database

Table

Field

Record

Primary key

Keywords

What is a database?

A database is a collectionof related information.

Used to store and manage data.

Yellow pages

Mobile phones

Microsoft Access

Examples?

Patient information in a hospital

Car registration numbers and owners

Names and phone numbers of friends

Student information in a school

Criminal Records

What kind of information could we store in a

database?

Parts of a database

Each table within a database will have a collection of fields and records.

e.g. Customer details is a table

Tables

Parts of a database

Each piece of information in a record is called a field.

e.g. Name: Joe Bloggs is a field.

Fields

Parts of a database

Each set of information about a person / object is called a record.

e.g. Name: Joe BloggsAddress: 33 Wood Lane, PorthPhone number: 01443 123456

is a record which has 3 fields.

Records

Parts of a database

Primary key

Every table in a database needs a primary key; aprimary key uniquely identifies each record inthe table.

e.g. Applies an ID to a record e.g. St1234

Table

Record

Field

Primary key

Which is better and why?

Data storage capacity Faster data retrieval, especially when

searching Easier to manage security Amending data is much easier

A manual system or a computerised system?

Data types

When information is typed into a database it isstored as a certain format.

Text: Any text

Number: Only numbers

Yes/no: anything with only two possible answers.E.g. yes/no, male/female.

Lookup wizard: a drop down menu with multiplechoice answers.

Your new band has a set up an online fan club.

100 requests for information on the fan club that have been emailed to you.

10 people have sent £10 for information and autographs after talking to the secretary.

 

Task

Fan club Information needed— E.g Name, address etc.

Type of Information (text, date, number)

Size of field needed (number of letters or numbers)

 First Name Text 10 Last name     Address     Email     Favourite member    Paid £10 Yes/No  Tick Box Preferred place of concert    

 D.O.B    

 Number of concerts been to         `

Table viewsDesign viewEnables you to do the work youneed to create a table. i.e. fieldnames and data types.

DatasheetThe Datasheet View shows therecords in a table.

Having designed a table you canthen go into datasheet anddisplay/add records.