DatabasesDatabasesWhat are they?What are they?TablesTables

A A databasedatabase is… is…

A collection of data or informationA collection of data or information Most computer applications are based on Most computer applications are based on

databases, for example:databases, for example: Library cataloguesLibrary catalogues Student recordsStudent records Video hireVideo hire Websites that sell products, such as books, Websites that sell products, such as books,

groceries, CDs, phones, etc….groceries, CDs, phones, etc….are all databasesare all databases

What sort of information does a What sort of information does a database holddatabase hold

A library catalogue would hold information A library catalogue would hold information such as:such as: Book titlesBook titles Authors namesAuthors names Subject of the bookSubject of the book Whether it is Fiction or Non-fictionWhether it is Fiction or Non-fiction The number to access the bookThe number to access the book

For example…For example…

A library catalogue database might A library catalogue database might look like this:look like this:

Book TitleBook Title AuthorAuthor SubjectSubject Fiction/Fiction/non non fictionfiction

Accession NoAccession No

Programming for Programming for ProfitProfit

Lee, Bertrand Lee, Bertrand Visual Basic ProgrammingVisual Basic Programming NFNF 435678435678

Programming with Programming with VB.netVB.net

Webster, SamWebster, Sam Programming using VB.netProgramming using VB.net NFNF 654321654321

Office 2000 for Office 2000 for DummiesDummies

D. DuckD. Duck Using the Office 2000 software suiteUsing the Office 2000 software suite NFNF 987088987088

One in ElevenOne in Eleven Brent, MBrent, M Learning disabilitiesLearning disabilities NFNF 542367542367

Developing Developing Databases with Databases with AccessAccess

Summers, GraemeSummers, Graeme DatabasesDatabases NFNF 987654987654

The library catalogue The library catalogue has different types of has different types of data – some is data – some is text, text, some is some is numericalnumerical

Databases Databases can contain can contain many kinds of datamany kinds of data

Coles Online is a database on the Coles Online is a database on the internet that looks like this:internet that looks like this:

In the Coles Online In the Coles Online database, the data database, the data is is texttext, , numericnumeric (currency) and (currency) and graphicgraphic ( pictures of ( pictures of the foods)the foods)

The data in databases can be any The data in databases can be any of the types shown below:of the types shown below:

OLE stand for Object Linked or Embedded – this is the field to choose for graphics

A database of players might look like this:

The database shows the player’s number, name height, age, date of birth, and weight

Records, Fields and FilesRecords, Fields and Files

The rows across the The rows across the table are table are recordsrecords – – there is one record for there is one record for each personeach person

For example this is For example this is the the recordrecord for for Anthony CorrieAnthony Corrie

Records, Fields and Files Records, Fields and Files continued…continued…

The columns The columns of the table of the table are fields – a are fields – a field holds field holds only one type only one type of information of information – for example, – for example, date of birth is date of birth is a fielda field

Records, Fields and Files Records, Fields and Files continued…continued…

A complete set of A complete set of recordsrecords makes up a makes up a filefile

A “flat” file can be A “flat” file can be represented with one tablerepresented with one table

MSAccess is a MSAccess is a relational relational database which means that a database which means that a database in Access can have database in Access can have many different tables and many different tables and they are all relatedthey are all related