Databases WOW!! A database is a collection of related data.

Types of databases Individual Company Distributed Proprietary Web

Steps to creating databases!! Always have a plan. Study the existing manual system focusing on how and what data is collected and used.

Steps (cont.) Design the basic structure or organization of the database system to have two related tables.

Steps (cont.) Focus on the first table; Create the table structure by specifying fields, data types and primary key field. To make the process faster, create a form and enter the data using the form.

Parts of a database Primary Key Fields Record Tables Form

Primary Key The unique identification number Access will not allow more than one entry in a table to have the same primary key value. Primary keys are often used to link tables.

Fields Fields are given field names that are displayed at the top of each table. Field names describe their contents. To make tables easy to read and efficient do not use long field names.

Record Each record contains information about one item in a given group. A record typically includes a combination of numeric, text, and object data types.

Table Tables are the basic element in a relational database. Tables make up the basic structure of a database with columns containing field data and rows containing record information.

Form Like printed paper forms, electronic forms should be designed to be easy to read and use.

THE END!!