Creating a Database Microsoft Access
What is a database? Any organized collection of information; it may be paper or electronic.
We use databases every day Phone Book Catalogues
Purpose of a Database Databases are designed for three main purposes. Organize Store Retrieve Information Retrieval being the most important as efficiently and effectively as possible
Main Parts of a Database Fields Records Database File
What is a field? A field is a single category of information for which data is given in each individual record Examples: Name, Symbol, Atomic Number, Atomic Weight, Discovery
What is a record? A record is all the information listed for one particular item in the database file
What is a database file? The complete database filled with records and fields is also known as a database file
Main Types of Databases Flat Database Relational Database
What is a Flat Database? A very simple database. Flat because it is flat like a piece of paper with one database record per line. The periodic excel data file is an example of a flat database.
What is a Relational Database A relational database contains tables which are linked together. Each table contains records which contain fields.
How does a database retrieve a record? Database Designers and Computer Programmers work together to create really fast methods of searching through databases
A Primary Key is essential A field that uniquely identifies a record in a table. So you get the right person/item. Student #, Licence #, Social Insurance Number
How can the information be viewed? Database programs provide you with more than one way to view data: Form views Show one record at a time List views Display several records in lists similar to the way a spreadsheet displays data
Form View
List View
Your Task Use Microsoft Access to create a: Movie Rental Database 2 Tables Customers (5) and Movies (15) Save the database to your My Documents folder !! Read the instructions carefully … step-by-step.
Sources http://www.mchenry.edu/library/tutorial/Purpose.htm http://www.cs.unc.edu/Courses/wwwp-s98/members/barman/databaseLesson/index.html http://lennon.csufresno.edu/~gwade/gwadedatabase.ppt http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/access/