datainformationknowledgeaction data – a collection of facts made up of text, numbers and dates:...
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Databases
23 November 2010
Transformation
Data Information Knowledge Action
Data vs. Information
Data – a collection of facts made up of text, numbers and dates:
Murray 35000 7/18/86
Information - the meaning given to data in the way it is interpreted:
Mr. Murray is a sales person whose annual salary is $35,000 and whose hire date is July 18, 1986.
Differences
Data› Unprocessed
Information› Organized and communicated
Knowledge› Evaluated and usable
What is a database?
storage space for information
Non-electronic Examples
A filing cabinet,
an address book,
a telephone directory,
a timetable, etc.
Electronic Database Systems: Then
Now
From Friendster.com on-line tour
Databases you may use
Benefits
Making information useful
Making information easily accessible
Integrating information
Basic Database Concepts
Name: Barry HarrisCollege: BusinessTel: 962-5555
Name: Barry HarrisCollege: BusinessTel: 962-5555
Name: Barry Harris Field
Record–A collection of data
about an individual item
–A single item of data common to all records
Table–A set of related records
Fields
Basic elements of content
An Example of a Table
Records
Fields
Name email Phone College
Graff rgraff 962-3900 Pharmacy
Harris bharris 962-5555 Business
Ipswich zipswich 933-5656 Journalism
Primary Keys & Foreign Keys
To ensure that each record is unique in each table, we can set one field to be a Primary Key field.
A Primary Key is a field that that will contain no duplicates and no blank values.
Foreign Keys link to data in other tables
Name email Phone College
Graff rgraff 962-3900 Pharmacy
Harris bharris 962-5555 Business
Ipswich zipswich 933-5656 Journalism
A Sample Relational Database
Other parts of a database
Tables
Forms
Queries
Reports
Forms A friendlier view of the database Used for data input, display and
printing
Queries
A means of asking questions (querying) of your data
Can look across tables
Reports If the query is a
question... ...then the report is
its answer Tailored to the
needs of the user Allows you to group
and summarize data
Cannot edit
Databases in Spreadsheets
Can be done› Example
BUT other tools exist to make it easier› User not need to understand as much› Handles routine operations