Creating a Simple Database

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Creating a Simple Database
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What is a database

• An organised store of information
• You can use it to FIND information
• You can use it to ORDER information

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An example

• A database of pupils in this school!
• A computer database does indeed exist!

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Uses of the school database

• Create lists of registration groups in
  alphabetical order of surname
• Create similar lists of teaching groups.
• Create lists of pupils on each bus

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More uses

• To quickly look up a home phone number of a pupil
• To look up any medical information on any pupil

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Planning a database

• Before you start a database
• You have to decide what information you are going
  to store

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Field names

• The headings to the categories of information are
  called fields.
• A pupil database might have the following fields
• Surname, First name, Reg class, Teaching group,
  Home phone, address,

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A Staff database

• You are going to set up a staff database
• The fields will be different to the pupil
  database.

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Staff Database fields

• Surname
• Initial
• Timetable code
• Subject
• You will be given a worksheet to help you start

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Staff Database Worksheet

• You will put the field names in the top row

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Staff Database data

• Then you will start entering data.

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Sorting and searching

• You will then follow the instructions on the
  worksheet to see how to SORT and SEARCH the data.
• Remember, most databases have hundreds or
  thousands or even millions of records.

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Record?

• A record is one group of fields about the same
  thing or person
• Each pupil has a record
• Each staff member has a record

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Records and fields

• A record will therefore have several or lots of
  fields
• EG
• This record has four fields.

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Records and files

• All the records of the staff database make up a
  file!
• So many fields make up a record
• And many records make a file

16
Software

• The main database program we have in school is
  Microsoft Access
• But for a simple database its more covenient to
  use Excel
• Although Excel doesnt have anywhere near the
  same number of database features!

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Excel will be used!

• But for this exercise, Excel will be used!
• Its easy to use
• Its quick to learn
• It satisfies our requirements!