1. Information Systems Lecture Series
Lecture 8 - Software
Information Systems Lecture Series

2. Programming Languages
Programming is an organized way of giving the computer a set of instructions to carry out prescribed tasks.
Business Information Systems - Software Systems

3. Programming Languages
1GL Machine Languages – 0 & 1
2GL Assembler Languages – instruction set
3GL High Level languages – Mathematical & Procedural
4GL Fourth generation Languages - Conversational Statements
5GL Object oriented languages – Combination of data and instructions
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4. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Web Languages
HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
XML – eXtensible Markup Language
Java
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5. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
The organization’s life is in its data and its livelihood is in its knowledge
Data
Information
Knowledge
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6. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Organization of data
Database
File
Record
Field
Character
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7. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Organization of data
Character – basic building block (alphanumerical or special character)
Field – a group of related characters
Record – related fields
File – a group of related records
Database – integrated collection of logically related data elements
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8. An outlook on kinds of databases
Classification of databases according to their use
Operational Database (Transaction database)
Customer database, Inventory, Human resources
Distributed database
A database that have multiple active nodes, which together make up the database Eg., Bank
External databases
Referencing databases, eg. ZIMRA database to an accounting organization, Stock Exchange database to a broker
Hypermedia databases
E.g., ZFM database with audio recordings that can be converted into playlists
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9. Why should we have databases?
File systems are limited
Different files with different file formats
Different application programs
No common application program for extraction
Duplication of data
Redundancy of stored data
Inconsistencies of stored data
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10. Records in different files
Human resources
ID number
Name
Sex
Employee Grade
Counselling department
Dependent 1
Dependent 2
Dependent 3
Employee Boss
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11. Inadequacies of File systems
Data redundancy – repeated information
Human resources
ID number
Name
Sex
Employee Grade
Counselling department
Dependent 1
Dependent 2
Dependent 3
Employee Boss
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12. Inadequacies of File systems
Inconsistent updates – multiple place to change
(If we have a name change, eg., on marriage might change in HR and not in Counselling)
Human resources
ID number
Name
Sex
Employee Grade
Counselling department
Dependent 1
Dependent 2
Dependent 3
Employee Boss
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13. Inadequacies of File systems
Lack of integration – data in different files
Human resources
ID number
Name
Sex
Employee Grade
Counselling department
Dependent 1
Dependent 2
Dependent 3
Employee Boss
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14. Inadequacies of File systems
Data dependence – data stored in different formats and styles [[The boss is only stored in Counselling if required by HR the format is an issue]]
Human resources (Word File)
ID number
Name
Sex
Employee Grade
Counselling department (Spreadsheet File)
Dependent 1
Dependent 2
Dependent 3
Employee Boss
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15. Structures of Databases
Network
Hierarchical
Relational
Object oriented
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16. Data in a table (relation)
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17. Properties of a relation
An attribute has a Domain. These are the set of values that can insatiate the given attribute.
Each tuple in a relation is unique
(A relation is a set, which means there are no repeated tuples)
A key is a set of attributes that uniquely identify tuples in a relation
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18. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Database Design
Entity relationship diagram: A diagrammatic representation of the set of objects in a database and how they relate to each other.
Constraints and Rules: These are the limitations that are set on a given database
Queries: An enquiry made to the database to get information meeting a certain set of criteria
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19. Entity Relationship Diagram
Entity: represents an object
Relationship: association between one or more entities
Attribute: property of an Entity or relationship
Cardinality: a measure of the number of entity instances participating in a relationship
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20. Information Systems - Software Systems
Cardinalities
1 – 1
Country to HOS
Car in Motion to Driver
FootballTeam to HeadCoach
1- m
Mother to child
Father to child
Client to account (DSTV)
Registered-owner to car
StackRoom to Book
CarKeys to Car
M – M
Pool-car to driver
Translator to language
Lecturer to course
SalesRep to Territory
Country to Currency
AirPort to AirLine
Room to Guest
Warehouse to Stock-Item
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21. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Exercise
A client insures their car through a car insurance company. Each customer can own a number of cars. The customer can register a car either against a business he owns or as a personal car. Each car has a number of recorded accidents associated with it. To insure a car the customer should be able to identify and locate an insurance company. Of course the customer does not have to deal with only one insurance company for all the cars he might own.
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22. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Exercise
Every client for Multichoice has an account. Each account can be associated with one or more bouquets. A bouquet can be Premium, Basic, Extra-view. A client’s bouquets is associated with one decoder. Each account has a start and end date, which indicates the validity of the most recent payment. A client pays for a Multichoice account through a bank account. The bank account is associated with a specific bank, branch, and has a bank balance.
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23. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Data warehouse
Source of data
Data has come from multiple sources (e.g., CZI collating some manufacturing data; ZIMCHE collating data from different universities; RBZ collating data from different financial institutions)
Transformation
Cleaned, transformed, and catalogued
Use
Business Analysis and Market research
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24. Data warehouse Example
Sources of data (different financial institutions)
Barclays bank (Banks data)
Accounts data
Loans data
Africa Century (Leasing Company data)
Projects data
Africa Development Bank (External investors data)
Transformed
USE: Who has been investing in Zimbabwe; Kinds of projects invested in; Success of projects viz source of funds
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25. Data Warehouse Example
Barclays (Acc type)
Acc#
Name
Collateral
Bal
Savings X
Loan
CBZ (Acc type)
Acc#
Name
Collateral
Bal
Mature date
Savings X
Loan
Education
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26. Data Warehouse Example
Africa Century
Acc#
Name
Purpose
Instalment
Duration
Loan 1 X
Project 22
Africa Development Bank
Acc#
Name of Ministry
Purpose
Instalment
Duration X
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27. Transformation
Acc-type, Acc#, Cust-Name, Collateral, Bal, Purpose, Mature-date
Africa Development Bank
Barclays
CBZ
Africa Century
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28. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Transformation
Cleaning
Remove unnecessary data fields
Remove unnecessary records
Transformation
Append new fields to make all similar
Determine the kind of missing information to insert
Missing as it is inapplicable
Missing as the value has not been determined
Catalogue
Put all data into same tables
Index data accordingly
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29. Business Information Systems - Software Systems
Data Mining
The data that has been accumulated over the period presents opportunities to the organization
Discover expected patterns
Discover hidden patterns
Venture more into data-warehouse/database because of results
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30. Data Mining in the Example above
Who is funding what kind of projects?
Which project are most funded?
Do people with accounts tend to get project funding?
What trends are there with regards project funding?
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