Form 5 topics combined

LEARNING AREA 4 - MULTIMEDIA

TOPICS FOR MULTIMEDIA

4.1 Multimedia Concepts4.1.1 Definition of Multimedia4.1.2 Usage of multimedia in various fields

i. Entertainment industryii. Businessiii. Artsiv. Medicinev. Engineering

4.1.3 Interactivity: Characteristics of linear and non-linear multimedia4.1.4 Differentiate between characteristics of linear and non-linear multimedia4.1.5 Medium of delivery4.1.6 Compare and contrast the mediums of delivery4.1.7 Multimedia elements

i. Textii. Graphicsiii. Videoiv. Audiov. Animation

4.1.8 Standard file formats

4.2 Hardware and Software4.2.1 Identifying hardware that can be used to produce multimedia products

i. Scannerii. Video cameraiii. Digital cameraiv. Audio devicesv. Video capture devices

4.2.2 Identify editing software that can be used to produce multimedia elementsi. Text editorii. Graphics and image editoriii. Audio editoriv. Video editorv. Animation editor

4.2.3 Authoring tools4.2.3.1 Define the concepts in authoring tools

i. Time frame conceptii. Icon conceptiii. Card concept

4.2.4 Web editor4.2.4.1 Describe and give examples of:

i. Text-basedii. WYSIWYG

4.3 Multimedia Development4.3.1 User interface principles

4.3.1.1 State user interface principlesi. Consistency

ii. Clarityiii. Contextiv. Navigation

M.D.A.S-SMK BELAGA ICT DEPARTMENT 1


v. Searchvi. Personalisation

vii. Learnabilityviii. Flexibility

4.3.1.2 Apply suitable user interface principles in a project4.3.2 Development Team

4.3.2.1 State the role of each member in development teami. Project managerii. Subject matter expertiii. Instructional designeriv. Graphics artistv. Audio-video technicianvi. Programmer

4.3.3 Multimedia production4.3.3.1 Describe the phases in multimedia production

i. Phase 1 - Analysisii. Phase 2 - Designiii. Phase 3 - Implementationiv. Phase 4 - Testingv. Phase 5 - Evaluationvi. Phase 6 - Publishing



4.0 MULTIMEDIA4.1 Multimedia Concepts

4.1.1 Definition of Multimedia “Multimedia” comes from the word “multi” and “media”. “Multi”

means various. “Media” refers to any hardware or software used for communicating.

Multimedia is the presentation of information by using a combination of text, audio, graphic, video and animation.

In the field of Information and Communication Technology, multimedia is an interactive communication process that uses an integration of five main elements such as texts, graphics, audio, video and animation.

4.1.2 Usage of multimedia in various fieldsi. Entertainment industry

Produces computer games, and develop animations or special effects for cartoons and movies.

ii. Business Multimedia applications are used in advertising products. Many companies nowadays develop and distribute catalogues in

the form of a CD-ROM as it is more interesting to the consumers.iii. Arts

Artists use multimedia elements by combining drawing and animation.

iv. Medicine Doctors can practice or be trained in performing high-risk

surgery by using virtual surgery.v. Engineering

Uses an application called Computer-Aided Design or CAD. By using this application, engineers can view the design from

many aspects and improve on it before production.

4.1.3 Interactivity: Characteristics of linear and non-linear multimedia

FIGURE 1: Characteristics of linear and non-liner multimedia



4.1.4 Differentiate between characteristics of linear and non-linear multimedia

FIGURE 2: Difference between linear and non-linear multimedia

4.1.5 Medium of delivery “Medium of delivery” means the ways to distribute a multimedia

application. There are two most common medium of delivery. They are:

i. Web-basedii. CD-based

For web-based multimedia, the multimedia content will be delivered through Web pages using the Internet technology. It can only be viewed using a web browser such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

For CD-based multimedia, the multimedia content will be delivered in CD-ROMs. These CD-ROMs are usually used with computers.

4.1.6 Compare and contrast the mediums of deliveryWeb-based CD-based

Limited in picture size and low resolution video

Can store high end multimedia elements such as video

Can be changed, damaged or deleted by irresponsible individuals

Can be permanently stored and are not changeable

Information for multimedia can be updated easily and its cheaper

Information on a multimedia can be quickly outdated

TABLE 1: Comparison between mediums of delivery

4.1.7 Multimedia elements



FIGURE 3: 5 Main Elements of Multimedia

vi. Text The most basic element Involves the use of text types, sizes, colours and background

colour

vii. Graphics Graphics help to illustrate ideas through still pictures. There are two types of graphics used; bitmaps and vector. Bitmaps are real images captured using cameras or scanners Vectors are images drawn on the computer

viii. Video Videos can be obtained from various sources It can be recorded using a digital video camera and transferred to

a computer or created from a photo slideshow and saved in video format

ix. Audio Examples of audio elements are speech, music and sound effects. There are two types of audio; analog and digital In multimedia, digital audio is used We must convert an analog audio into digital audio before using

it in a multimedia application

x. Animation Animation is a process of making a static image look like its

moving. In multimedia, digital animation is used. Digital animation can be divided into 2 areas; 2D (2-

Dimensional) and 3D (3-Dimensional) animations.

4.1.8 Standard file formats Each of the five elements of multimedia has various standard file

formats. File formats can be determined by looking at the file extensions. For example, a file named Multimedia.doc has the file extension of

.doc.



FIGURE 4: Standard File Formats of the Multimedia Elements

4.2 Hardware and Software

FIGURE 5: Hardware Used In Multimedia Production

4.2.1 Identifying hardware that can be used to produce multimedia productsi. Scanner

Used to convert conventional images, texts, drawings and photos into digital form that can be understood by the computer.

There are four types of scanners: flatbed scanner, hand held scanner, sheet-fed scanner and 3D scanner.



FIGURE 6: Types of Scanner

ii. Video camera There are two types of video cameras: analog video camera and

digital video camera (DV). An analog video camera records video in analog signals on a

magnetic video tape. A digital video camera records video in digital signals, which can be

stored in various forms of media, such as digital video tape or memory cards.

FIGURE 7: Types of Video Camera

iii. Digital camera In a digital camera, images are captured and stored in a media card. The advantages of having a digital camera is that the images captured

can directly be used in the computer. It saves cost as we do not have to buy films and can choose to keep or

delete the pictures in the memory card.



FIGURE 8: Types of Camera

iv. Audio devices Audio devices are needed to record analog sound. The sounds are then changed into digital sound. Examples of devices used for recording sounds or audio are

microphone, sound card and voice synthesizer.

FIGURE 9: Types of Audio Devices

v. Video capture devices Video capture devices help to convert analog video to digital video.

The firewire helps to transfer the video from video camera to the computer.

They also transfer digital video to the computer so that the data can be edited or stored.

FIGURE 10: How Video Capture Device Works



4.2.2 Identify editing software that can be used to produce multimedia elements

FIGURE 6: Editing Software Used in Multimedia Production

i. Text editor Used to edit plain text

ii. Graphics and image editor Used to edit images, draw or illustrate pictures or objects

iii. Audio editor Used for voice recording or producing music and special sound

effectsiv. Video editor

Used to edit videov. Animation editor

Used for producing 2D, 3D, special effects and animation for the web

ELEMENTS EDITING SOFTWAREText Notepad

Microsoft Word Open Office Writer

Graphics Microsoft Paint Adobe Photoshop Corel Draw

Audio Sound Recorder Sony Sound Forge Adobe Audition

Video Adobe Premiere Pinnacle Studio Ulead MediaStudio Pro

Animation Macromedia Flash (2D) Asymmetrix 3DFX (3D) Magic Morph (special effect) Ulead Gif Animator (Web animation)

TABLE 2: Examples of Editing Software



4.2.3 Authoring tools Authoring tool is a program that helps you write multimedia

applications. Authoring tools usually enable you to create a final application by

linking together objects such as a paragraph of text, graphic or a video. By sequencing them in an appropriate order, authoring tools can

produce attractive and useful multimedia applications.

4.2.3.2 Define the concepts in authoring toolsi. Time frame concept

the multimedia elements or events are presented and organised along a time line

This type of tool helps users coordinate when each multimedia element (text, graphics, audio, video or animation) plays.

Examples of authoring tools using the time frame concept are Flash and Director.

FIGURE 7: Time Frame Concept

ii. Icon concept The icon concept provides the multimedia developer with a

visual programming approach to sequencing events in the multimedia application.

In this concept, elements and events are organised in a structural framework.

Users can present visually a logical flow of events by dragging icons from an icon menu.

The icon can represent graphics, audio files, animation, text, movies, and other elements

These icons represent:o events such as mouse clicks, key presso actions to be performed after an event e.g. a transition,

a soundo routines to perform loops, conditional branches

Several multimedia authoring tools which use this icon concept are Authorware and IconAuthor.



FIGURE 8: Icon Concept

iii. Card concept The card concept is based on the idea of card stacks

containing graphics, audio, video, text and animation. Elements and events in card concept authoring tools are

organised as pages in a book or a stack of cards. When card concept authoring tools starts, a blank page is

displayed. Certain objects can be inserted e.g. text, pictures and buttons.

By inserting objects into several pages, a multimedia "book'' is eventually created.

Examples of the card concept in authoring tools are ToolBook, HyperCard and SuperCard.

FIGURE 9: Card Concept



4.2.4 Web editor Web editor is a program that you use to create Web page. It can be something as simple as the text editor that came with your

operating system. It can be something as simple as the text editor. It can also be something that creates the Websites as you point and click

away.

4.2.4.1 Describe and give examples of:iii. Text-based

A text-based Web editor is a basic editor where you work with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags to create a Web page.

It can be used to change HTML source codes. Using a text-based Web editor requires you to have HTML

knowledge to get started. Notepad and PSPad are examples of text-based editors.

FIGURE 10: Examples of Text-based Editors

iv. WYSIWYG WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get. WYSIWYG web editors provide an editing interface that

shows how the pages will be displayed in a web browser. Using a WYSIWYG editor does not require any HTML

knowledge. It is easier for an average computer user. Examples of WYSIWYG web editor are Microsoft FrontPage

and Macromedia Dreamweaver.



FIGURE 11: How WYSIWYG Editor Works

FIGURE 12: Examples of WYSIWYG Editors

4.3 Multimedia Development4.3.1 User interface principles

User interface refers to how human can interact with a computer In multimedia, the most common type of user interface used is

Graphical User Interface (GUI) To create a good user interface, there are several principles that we

must consider

4.3.1.3 State user interface principlesix. Consistency

Consistency means the interface design is in harmony and applies to all screen in a software program.

The same words or commands perform the same functions throughout the user interface.



FIGURE 13: Example of Consistency

x. Clarity Clarity means that the icons, words or commands are

clearly labeled and easy to understand. Users should be able to use relevant icons or graphics to

guide them through the multimedia application.

FIGURE 14: Example of Clarity

xi. Context Context means that the content of the multimedia

application should be relevant to its title. Ideas must be presented in relation to the title.

xii. Navigation Navigation means users can move around or navigate

through the multimedia application easily using the menus, buttons, links help files or other screens in a system.



FIGURE 15: Example of Navigation

xiii. Search Search means the system enables users to search

keywords or glossary. The user interface should have a search function.

FIGURE 16: Example of Search Function

xiv. Personalisation Personalisation means the users can make their own

personal or individual learning. Users can choose their display options.

FIGURE 17: Example of Personalisation

xv. Learnability Learnability means the system provides support

information and help files to make the system easy to understand.

Support information is important, especially in helping the user to use the system.



The help function should be available to speed up the interaction for both experienced and inexperienced users.

FIGURE 18: Example of Help Tool

xvi. Flexibility Flexibility means a user has the authority to navigate

through all the sections without any limitations. For example, the user is allowed to access any of the

lessons, sections and pages of the program.

FIGURE 19: Example of Flexibility

4.3.1.4 Apply suitable user interface principles in a project

4.3.2 Development Team A multimedia production team consists of a Project Manager, Subject

Matter Expert (SME), Graphic Artist, Audio-Video Technician, Instructional Designer and Programmer.

FIGURE 20: Hierarchy of a Multimedia Development Team



4.3.2.2 State the role of each member in development teami. Project manager

Define the scope of the project Meet and discuss with clients Search for financial resources Search for equipment and facilities Coordinate the production team

ii. Subject matter expert Do research on the content of a multimedia program Provide content for the multimedia content

iii. Instructional designer Decide the best educational strategies and practices to

present the information

iv. Graphics artist Develop the graphic elements of the multimedia program

such as backgrounds, buttons, photo collages, animations, 3D objects and logos.

v. Audio-video technician Responsible for recording the voice or audio for the

program Edits audio files such as sound effects, music and

narrations Capturing, editing and digitizing videos

vi. Programmer Writes the program code or scripts using the authoring

tool Combines all the multimedia elements into a multimedia

program.

4.3.3 Multimedia production4.3.3.2 Describe the phases in multimedia production

FIGURE 21: Phases of Multimedia Production

i. Phase 1 - AnalysisThe Analysis Phase is the main phase of a multimedia production.Enables multimedia developers to set the focus of the project.



The multimedia developers will identify the project title, problem, objectives, possible solution and target users.

ii. Phase 2 - Design The Design Phase refers to the planning of the design of the

multimedia program to be developed. There are two popular tools used in the Design Phase, namely

the Flow Chart and Storyboard.

FIGURE 22: Example of Storyboard

iii. Phase 3 - Implementation The multimedia developers will convert a design plan such as

a Storyboard into a multimedia program. This is the phase where the multimedia program is produced

using an authoring tool such as Toolbook Assistant 2004.

iv. Phase 4 - Testing The Testing Phase begins after the Implementation Phase. The Testing Phase involves multimedia developers and does

not involve the users yet. The purpose of testing is to ensure that the program runs

correctly without errors.

v. Phase 5 - Evaluation Selected users are involved in the evaluation of multimedia

programs. Focuses on overall presentation and effectiveness of the

multimedia.

vi. Phase 6 - Publishing In the publishing phase, the multimedia contents will be

published so that it can be delivered to the client. We have two options of mediums used in delivering

multimedia contents:o CD-basedo Web-based



TOPICS FOR PROGRAMMING

5.1 Basic Programming Concepts5.1.1 Define Program and Programming Language.5.1.2 Levels and Generations of Programming Languages5.1.3 Programming Language Approaches

5.1.3.1 Structured approach5.1.3.2 Object-oriented approach5.1.3.3 Differentiate between structured and object-oriented

5.1.4 Translator5.1.4.1 Describe translation methods using:

5.1.4.1.1 Assembler5.1.4.1.2 Interpreter5.1.4.1.3 Compiler

5.1.5 Basic Elements in Programming5.1.5.1 Differentiate between constants and variables5.1.5.2 Differentiate between the data types: Boolean, integer, double, string

and date5.1.5.3 Differentiate between mathematical and logical operators5.1.5.4 Differentiate between sequence control structure and selection

control structure (flow chart)

5.2 Program Development5.2.1 Program Development Phases5.2.2 Describe the five main phases in program development

i. PHASE 1 - Problem analysisii. PHASE 2 - Program designiii. PHASE 3 - Codingiv. PHASE 4 - Testing and debuggingv. PHASE 5 - Documentation



5.0 PROGRAMMING5.1 Basic Programming Concepts

5.1.1 Define Program and Programming Language. Program is a series of organized instructions that directs a computer to

perform tasks. It contains a list of variables and a list of statements that tell the computer what to do with the variables.

A programming language is a set of words, symbols and codes that enables humans to communicate with computers.

5.1.2 Levels and Generations of Programming Languages

FIGURE 1: Levels of Programming Languages

5.1.3 Programming Language Approaches5.1.3.1 Structured approach

Uses a top-down design model Programs are drawn as rectangles The whole program is broken down into modules

5.1.3.2 Object-oriented approach A special type of programming approach that combines data with

functions to create objects The objects have relationships with one another

5.1.3.3 Differentiate between structured and object-orientedStructured Object-oriented

Uses top-down design model Uses objectsTABLE 1: Difference between structured and object-oriented

5.1.4 Translator5.1.4.1 Describe translation methods using:

5.1.4.1.1 Assembler A computer program for translating assembly

language into machine language Examples of assemblers are MACRO-80 Assembler

and Microsoft MASM.



5.1.4.1.2 Interpreter Used to interpret and execute program directly from

its source without compiling it first The source code is interpreted and executed in real

time when the user executes it The interpreter will read each code, converts it to

machine code and executes it line by line until the end of the program

5.1.4.1.3 Compiler The source code will be converted into machine code If the compiler encounters any errors, it records them

in the program-listing file A compiled code runs faster than programs based on

interpreted language.

5.1.5 Basic Elements in Programming

FIGURE 2: 5 Basic Elements in Programming

5.1.5.1 Differentiate between constants and variablesConstants Variables

Characteristics The value will never change during the course of the program

The value can change anytime during the course of the program

Usage Used when we want to declare something that won’t be changed during the program execution

Used to store data that may or will change during the running of the program

TABLE 2: Differences between constants and variables



5.1.5.2 Differentiate between the data types: Boolean, integer, double, string and date

FIGURE 3: Difference between data types

5.1.5.3 Differentiate between mathematical and logical operators

FIGURE 4: Difference between mathematical and logical operators



5.1.5.4 Differentiate between sequence control structure and selection control structure (flow chart)

Sequence Control Structure

Selection Control Structure

Usage Used when we want to execute the codes line by line

Used when we want to implement decision making process in the program

Execution flow

Executes statements one by one in linear or consecutive order

Executes different statements for different conditions

Flow chart Does not use the decision symbol

Uses the decision symbol

TABLE 3: Difference between Sequence and Selection Control



5.2 Program Development5.2.1 Program Development Phases

FIGURE 5: Program Development Phases

5.2.2 Describe the five main phases in program developmentvi. PHASE 1 - Problem analysis

In this phase, a programmer will:a. Review and define the problemb. Identify the inputc. Identify processd. Identify the output

Usually the programmer will interview the client to know their needs and requirements

vii. PHASE 2 - Program design There are 3 types of designs used. These designs

must be done accordingly. They are:a. top-down design (to know what are the input,

process and output)



FIGURE 6: Example of Top-Down Design

b. pseudo code

FIGURE 7: Example of Pseudo Code

c. flow chart (to show the data flow of the program)

FIGURE 8: Example of Flow Chart

viii. PHASE 3 - Coding This is the phase where the program is written using

a computer programming language A programmer will use a program development tool

(such as Visual Basic 6.0) which generates the codes



FIGURE 9: Example of Program Development Tool

ix. PHASE 4 - Testing and debugging Before a program or software is released to the

client, it must go through the testing and debugging phase This phase is to ensure that the program has no

errors Testing means to run the program and try all the

functions in the program to make sure that they work accordingly Debugging means to correct or repair any errors

found Usually testing and debugging is done at the client’s

site and the tester will be the client There are 3 types of errors:

a. Syntax errorb. Logic errorc. Run-time error

FIGURE 10: Types of Error and Description

x. PHASE 5 - Documentation Documentation refers to any written materials

produced during the program development It includes:

a. detailed problem definition



b. program plan (flow chart or pseudo code)c. comments within the source coded. testing procedurese. user manual

Proper documentation is important because it will help new programmers to learn the existing program if the program requires changes in the future





TOPICS FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

6.1 Concepts of Information Systems6.1.1 Definition

6.1.1.1 Give the meaning of:i. Dataii. Informationiii. Information Systems

6.1.2 Usage of Information Systems in various fields.6.1.2.1 State the usage of Information Systems in:

i. Educationii. Businessiii. Management.

6.1.3 Information Systems components6.1.3.1 List the Information Systems components:6.1.3.2 Define each of the Information Systems components

i. Dataii. Hardwareiii. Softwareiv. Peoplev. Procedure

6.1.3.3 Describe the interrelation between Information Systems components using a diagram.

6.1.4 Types of Information Systems6.1.4.1 List FIVE types of Information Systems6.1.4.2 State the usage of each type of Information Systems

i. Management Information System (MIS)ii. Transaction Processing System (TPS)iii. Decision Support System (DSS)iv. Executive Information System (EIS)v. Expert System (ES)vi. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

6.1.5 Hierarchy of data6.1.5.1 Define:

i. Bitii. Byteiii. Fieldiv. Recordv. File

6.1.5.2 State the hierarchy of data

6.2 Software6.2.1 Definition

6.2.1.1 Define:i. Databaseii. Database Management Systems (DBMS)

6.2.1.2 List the benefits of using database6.2.2 Features

6.2.2.1 State the relationship between attribute (field), row (record) and relation (file)

6.2.2.2 Define:i. Primary key



ii. Foreign key6.2.2.3 State the importance of primary key6.2.2.4 Differentiate between the primary key and foreign key6.2.2.5 State the importance of relationship between the primary key and

foreign key6.2.3 Database objects

6.2.3.1 Define the following database objects/tools:i. Tableii. Formiii. Queryiv. Report

6.2.3.2 Identify table, query, form and report as database objects/tools6.2.4 Data manipulation

6.2.4.1 List the basic operations of data manipulation:6.2.4.2 State the usage of basic operations in data manipulation

i. Updateii. Insertiii. Deleteiv. Retrievev. Sortvi. Filtervii. Search

6.3 Database development6.3.1 Phases of Systems Development

6.3.1.1 Describe the phases of systems developmenti. Analysisii. Designiii. Implementationiv. Testingv. Documentationvi. Maintenance



6.0 INFORMATION SYSTEMS6.1 Concepts of Information Systems

6.1.1 Definition6.1.1.1 Give the meaning of:

iv. Data Data includes any text, numbers, images, audio and video

that will provide information on specific things

v. Information Information is processed data that are organized,

meaningful and useful.

vi. Information Systems A collection of hardware, software, data, people and

procedures that work together to produce quality information.

6.1.2 Usage of Information Systems in various fields.6.1.2.1 State the usage of Information Systems in:

iv. Education Keep track of students’ statistics and grades Help students and teachers in online learning and

discussion Store subject content

v. Business Carry out online buying and selling Help plan the delivery of goods and services Make room bookings and check for the best rates

vi. Management. See employee records Analyse products, services and product prices Process customer orders, organize production times and

keep track of product inventory

6.1.3 Information Systems components6.1.3.1 List the Information Systems components:

i. Dataii. Hardwareiii. Softwareiv. Peoplev. Procedure

6.1.3.2 Define each of the Information Systems componentsvi. Data

The raw, unorganised, discrete and potentially-useful facts and figures that are later processed (manipulated) to produce information.

vii. Hardware The set of hardware used to enter, retrieve and manipulate

the data in the information system.



viii. Software A program that consists of series of instructions that tells

the computers what to do and how to do it. In Information Systems, software is used to convert data into useful information.

ix. People People involved in the process of developing, maintaining

and using the database. These people include systems analyst, programmer, Manager of Information Systems (MIS) and data entry operator.

x. Procedure A procedure is a series of documented actions taken to

achieve something and it is usually more than a single simple task. A procedure can be quite complex and involved, such as performing a backup, shutting down a system, patching software.

6.1.3.3 Describe the interrelation between Information Systems components using a diagram.

FIGURE 1: Interrelation between Information Systems components

6.1.4 Types of Information Systems6.1.4.1 List FIVE types of Information Systems:

i. Management Information System (MIS)ii. Transaction Processing System (TPS)iii. Decision Support System (DSS)iv. Executive Information System (EIS)v. Expert System (ES) / Artificial Intelligence (AI)

6.1.4.2 State the usage of each type of Information Systemsvii. Management Information System (MIS)

An information system that generates accurate, timely and organized information so managers and other users can make decision, solve problems, supervise activities and track progress.

viii. Transaction Processing System (TPS)


Data

PeopleHardware

Software Procedure


An information system that processes data generated from business transactions; usually used for daily routine transactions and record-keeping, especially sales, payroll, reservations, shipping, and worker tracking

ix. Decision Support System (DSS) A system that provides data, structured models and

ad-hoc query tools to enable business decision development and analysis.

x. Executive Information System (EIS) An Executive Information System (EIS) is a

computer-based system that facilitates and supports the information and decision making needs of senior executives by providing easy access to information relevant to organization’s objectives. It is commonly considered as a specialized form of Decision Support System (DSS).

xi. Expert System (ES) A type of system that makes decisions or solves

problems in a particular field by using knowledge and analytical rules defined by experts in the field.

xii. Artificial Intelligence (AI) The ability of a computer to perform tasks, such as

reasoning and learning, that human intelligence is capable of doing.

6.1.5 Hierarchy of data6.1.5.1 Define:

vi. BitA binary digit, taking a value of either 0 or 1.

vii. ByteA unit of measurement of information storage consisting of 8 bits that represents a single character.

viii. FieldA field holds a single data. For example, a birthdate field that shows the date of birth of a person in the database.

ix. RecordA group of related fields that provides information about someone or something in a database. For example, an Employee record may contain a name field, address field or birthdate field.

x. FileA collection of related records stored on a storage medium.



6.1.5.2 State the hierarchy of data: Bit byte (character) field record file database

FIGURE 2: Hierarchy of Data

6.2 Software6.2.1 Definition

6.2.1.1 Define:iii. Database

A database is a collection of data organized in a manner that allow access, retrieval and use of that data.

iv. Database Management Systems (DBMS)A collection of programs that enables us to store, modify, extract and manage information from a database.

6.2.1.2 List the benefits of using databasei. Data redundancies and inconsistencies are reduced.ii. Access is restricted to authorized people.iii. Information can be presented in a variety of formats.iv. Data filtering is much easier.v. Data manipulation can be done easily.vi. Users may share data with one anothervii. Data integrity is preserved because changes in one file are

made in other files as well.

6.2.2 Features6.2.2.1 State the relationship between attribute (field), row (record) and

relation (file)i. Data is organized into related tables.


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ii. Each table is made up of rows which are called records and columns which are called fields.

iii. Each record contains fields of information about some specific item.

FIGURE 3: Fields and Records

6.2.2.2 Define:iii. Primary key

A field that uniquely identifies each record in a file.

iv. Foreign key A primary key that exist in other tables in order to

link the related tables together.

6.2.2.3 State the importance of primary keyi. Used for the purpose of indexing the tables in a database

which makes it more efficient to: search for specific record sort the data or link tables.

ii. Helps to avoid duplicating records.iii. Prevents null values from being entered in the unique field.

6.2.2.4 Differentiate between the primary key and foreign keyPrimary key Foreign key

Must contain unique values May have duplicate valuesUsed to uniquely identity each record in a table

Used to link to a primary key in another table

TABLE 1: Differences between primary key and foreign key

6.2.2.5 State the importance of relationship between the primary key and foreign key To enable users to retrieve all the related information from

different tables. The primary key of one table becomes a foreign key in other

table. A primary key makes creating Queries, Forms and Reports

easier. A primary key improves data performance by relating a

smaller table into meaningful database.


Field

Record


By matching a foreign key with primary key, the data does not need to be entered repeatedly.

6.2.3 Database objects6.2.3.1 Define the following database objects/tools:

v. Table A set of data arranged in rows and columns.

vi. Form A form is a type of a database object that is primarily used

to enter or display data in a database.

vii. Query An object that requests information from a database and

creates a dataset of the requested information.

viii. Report A report is an effective way to present data in a printed

format. Since we have control over the size and appearance of everything on a report, we can display the information the way we want to see it.

6.2.3.2 Identify table, query, form and report as database objects/tools

FIGURE 4: Table

FIGURE 5: Query



FIGURE 6: Form

FIGURE 7: Report

6.2.4 Data manipulation6.2.4.1 List the basic operations of data manipulation:

i. Updateii. Insertiii. Deleteiv. Retrievev. Sortvi. Filtervii. Search

6.2.4.2 State the usage of basic operations in data manipulationviii. Update

To correct inaccurate data and to change old data with new data.

ix. Insert To add new records in the file when new data are obtained.

x. Delete To remove a record from a file when it is no longer needed.

xi. Retrieve To obtain specific information from the tables in order to refer

or make changes to the information.

xii. Sort To arrange the records according to ascending or descending

order based on a specified field.



xiii. Filter To exclude unwanted records from being retrieved by using

certain condition or criteria in a query..

xiv. Search To find specific records that fulfills the users’ requirements.

6.3 Database development6.3.1 Phases of Systems Development

FIGURE 8: Phases of Systems Development

6.3.1.1 Describe the phases of systems developmentvii. Analysis

In analysis phase, the developer will determine the problem or understanding the existing system. Several things will be considered such as users’ wants, needs and requirements in order to come up with a solution.

viii. Design In this phase, the developer will begin to plan the system.

Several things will be considered in this phase such as the hardware and software requirement, technical specifications and input and output design.

ix. Implementation The purpose of the implementation phase is to construct or

build the new or modified system and then deliver it to the users. Everything which has been considered and decided in design phase will be implemented in this phase.

x. Testing When the system has been developed, the programmers or

system analysts will perform a program testing. The purpose of doing the testing is to find any possible errors in the system and correct them. The errors are usually one of the two types; syntax error and logic errors. Another type of error will be the run-time error. Run-time error causes the program to stop until the problem is resolved.



xi. Documentation In the documentation phase, the programmer will prepare all

the documentation on the program. This documentation includes charts, solution algorithms, test data, program code listing and user guide. All documents should be made complete and accurate.

xii. Maintenance Keeping the system up to date with the changes in the

organization and ensuring it meets the goals of the organization by having a help desk to support the system users, having a team available to aid technical difficulties, answer questions and implementing changes to the system when necessary.



References:

1. ICT CD Courseware Notes2. Shelly Cashman Series – Discovering Computers 20073. Various sources from the Internet
