Database Basics

Database Basics

Describe the basic organization of a database.

Summarize advantage to using database software.

Define GIGO, and explain how it relates to the quality of a database.

Give examples of how to manage information in database.

Describe the features of a report template.

Objectives

Data type Database Field Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) Record Table Database Management System (DBMS) Flat-File Database

Key Terms

Key Field Object-Oriented database Relational Database Sort Ascending order Information overload Report Report Template

Key Terms

What is a Database?

Databases make it easy to store, add,

organize, and retrieve information.

Introduction

Records – The data in each table is further split intosmaller units that contain related information aboutone individual or item.

Field – Each separate piece of data that is stored ina record – a student’s last name, and first name. Itis the smallest element in a database.

Data Type – limited kind of information that can beentered into a field.

The Essentials of a Database

GIGO – is short for “garbage in, garbage out.” Itmeans that if the information placed in a database iswrong, anyone using that information will get thewrong results.

Database Management System – is software used tomanage the storage, organization, processing, andretrieval of data in a database. Example:FileMaker Pro 12

Flat-file database – allows you to work with data inonly one table.


Flat File Database

Relational Database – can use data from severaltables at the same time. This is because the tableslinked by a key field.

Key Field - a field that is found in each of thetables.

Ascending order – data can be sorted, in which anexample would be values increase, such as A,B,C or1,2,3.


Relational Database

Table – A database has one or more tables, just as afile cabinet may have one or more drawers.

Sort – database programs are superior to paperdatabases in part because the information can besorted in different ways.

Object-Oriented Databases – databases that storeobjects, such as documents, video clips, and audioclips.


Object Oriented Database

Multimedia Databases – serves as an index to all the

separately stores files similar to a book index.

Data Security – The same features that makedatabases efficient tools make them vulnerable to invasions of privacy. Personal information can bemisused. Requiring users to input a password sothey can access data which is one way of keeping adatabase secure.


Data Redundancy – Repeating the same data inmany tables wastes space by requiring a computerto store the same information more than once.

Information Overload – can be reduced orprevented if the information is summarized so thatDatabase users are not overwhelmed by details.

Chronological Order – dates and times are sorted inthis way.


Multi-Sorts – allows you to tailor the reportsgenerated from a database.

Report Template – a pattern that controls how datawill be displayed. This typically has several mainfeatures:

Report header – appears at the beginning of areport, such as the report title.

Report footer – appears at the end of a report,such as summary totals or averages


Page header – appears at the top of each page,such as field headings

Page footer – appears at the bottom of each page, such as the date the report was printed and the page number the arrangement of the data that you want the report to include (Example: books in a library)


Documents

Database Basics