1. Database Applications and Implications 8

2.  2001 Prentice Hall8.2 Chapter Outline The Electronic File Cabinet: Database Basics Beyond the Basics: Database Management Systems No Secrets: Computers and Privacy “The goal is information at your fingertips.” Bill Gates

3.  2001 Prentice Hall8.3 The Electronic File Cabinet: Database Basics Database software is… application software (like word processing and spreadsheet software) designed to maintain databases (collections of information) A Database is… a collection of information stored in an organized form on a computer

4.  2001 Prentice Hall8.4 What Good Is a Database? An electronic database allows you to: –store large quantities of information –retrieve information quickly –organize and reorganize information –print and distribute information in a variety of ways

5.  2001 Prentice Hall8.5 Database Anatomy A database is a collection of one or more database files A file is a collection of related information (records)

6.  2001 Prentice Hall8.6 Database Anatomy A record is the information relating to one person, product, or event A field is a discrete chunk of information in a record

7.  2001 Prentice Hall8.7 Database Anatomy The view is a display of the information in fields based on a particular layout of field data. Form View List View

8.  2001 Prentice Hall8.8 Database Operations These operations are used to manipulate the information in the database: –Import:receives data in the form of text files –Browse:navigates through information by just looking at it –Query: finds records that match a specific criteria –Sort: rearranges records (alpha or numerically) –Report: printout of an ordered list of records

9.  2001 Prentice Hall8.9 Special-Purpose Database Programs Geographical information systems (GISs): include geographic and demographic data in map form. Specialized database software is preprogrammed for specific data storage and retrieval purposes.

10.  2001 Prentice Hall8.10 Special-Purpose Database Programs Personal information managers (PIMs): an electronic organizer that is customized to fit individual needs.

11.  2001 Prentice Hall8.11 Beyond the Basics: Database Management Systems A file manager is a program that allows users to work with one file at a time.

12.  2001 Prentice Hall8.12 Beyond the Basics: Database Management Systems Database Management Systems (DBMS) –is a program or system of programs that can manipulate data in a large collection of files –redundant information is stored as a key field –different users see different points of view –may be interactive

13.  2001 Prentice Hall8.13 What Makes a Database Relational? A database is relational when files are related to each other, such as this Student ID field in the Student file. If a change is made in one file, all files are updated immediately.

14.  2001 Prentice Hall8.14 Database Trends Real-Time Computing –Allows instant access to information Downsizing and Decentralizing –Using a client/server approach Data Mining –Allows technology to find valuable information

15.  2001 Prentice Hall8.15 Database Trends Databases and the Web –Information is available via a company’s Intranet and the Internet Object-Oriented Databases –Make database construction and usage more flexible

16.  2001 Prentice Hall8.16 Database Trends Multimedia Databases –Serve as an index for art, photographs, maps, video clips, and other media files Natural Language Databases –Allows users to ask for data using the same language used to address humans

17.  2001 Prentice Hall8.17 The Privacy Problem More than 15,000 specialized marketing databases contain 2 billion names. These databases contain characteristics like age, income, religion, and even sexual preference.

18.  2001 Prentice Hall8.18 Rules of Thumb: Your Private Right Your social security number is yours – don’t give it away Say no to direct mail and phone solicitations, sharing of personal information, and pollsters Know your electronic rights

19.  2001 Prentice Hall8.19 Big Brother and Big Business Government uses record matching to locate criminals ranging from tax evaders to mass murderers. Credit bureaus collect information about us and allow us to borrow money where ever we go.

20.  2001 Prentice Hall8.20 Big Brother and Big Business With the increased amount of information available: –Data errors are common –Data can become nearly immortal –Data isn’t secure