Database Management Review Questions Chapter 2 Ryan Scot

1. What is a relation?
is a situation that exists between two relational database tables when one table has a foreign
key that references the primary key of the other table. Relationships allow relational databases
to split and store data in different tables, while linking disparate data items.
2. What is a relational database?
A database consisting of more than two related tables. The relationship between the tables is
created by placing a primary key of the primary in to the secondary table. ... Database tables
stores in rows and records in an organised. It is also known as Entity.
3. What is an unnormalized relation? Is it a relation according to the definition of the word
relation?
An unnormalized relation is a structure that satisfies all the properties of a relation except the
restriction that entries must be single valued. No, It is not a relation according to the definition.
4. How is the term attribute used in the relational model? What is a more common name for
attribute?
In the relational model an atribute is a property of an entity. Atribute is another term for a
column in a table. It is also commonly called a field.
5. Describe the shorthand representation of the structure of a relational database. Illustrate
this technique by representing the database for Colonial Adventure Tours shown in Figures 1-
15 through 1-19 in Chapter 1.
In the short-hand representation, each table is listed, and after each table, all the columns of
the table are listed in parentheses. Primary keys are underlined. The short-hand representation
For Colonial Adventure Tours database is as Follows:Guide (GuideNum, LastName, ±irstName,
Address, City, State, PostalCode, PhoneNum, HireDate)
6. What does it mean to qualify a field name? How would you qualify the Street field in the
Customer table?
To qualify a field name, one combines a column name and a table name. To qualify the Street
Field in the customer table, one would type Customer.street.
7. What is a primary key? What is the primary key for each table in the Colonial Adventure
Tours database shown in Figures 1-15 through 1-19 in Chapter 1?
A primary key is the column or columns that uniquely identifies a given row in that table.Fig. 1-
15: GuideNumFig. 1-16: TripIDFig. 1-17: CustomerNumFig. 1-18: ReservationIDFig. 1-19: TripID
8. How do you include a field in an Access query?
Add the field to the design grid. In Access, double-click the filed in the field list to place it in the
design grid.
9. How do you indicate criteria in an Access query?
To add criteria to an Access query, open the query in Design view and identify the fields
(columns) you want to specify criteria for. If the field is not in the design grid, double-click the
field to add it to the design grid and then enter the criterion in the Criteria row for that field.
10. How do you use an AND criterion to combine criteria in an Access query? How do you use
an OR criterion to combine criteria?
To use an AND criterion, place the criteria for multiple fields in the same row of the design grid.
For an OR criterion, place the criteria for multiple fields on DIFFERENT Criteria rows in the
design grid.
11. How do you create a computed field in an Access query?
12. In which row of the Access design grid do you include functions? What functions can you
use in Access queries?
13. How do you sort data in an Access query?
One must specify the sort order (ascending or descending) in the Sort row of the design grid
(click the sort row arrow and then select the desired sort order)
14. When sorting data on more than one field in an Access query, which field is the major sort
key? Which field is the minor sort key? What effect do these keys have on the order in which
the rows are displayed?
The sort key on the left is the major sort key and the sort key on the right will be the minor sort
key. The keys effect the placement of the rows on the screen.
15. How do you join tables in an Access query?
Create a query and add the two tables for the unequal join...Add the output fields you want.
Add the join field from the first table, and clear the check box in the Show row.

16. When do you use an update query?

Type of action query that changes a set of records according to criteria that you specify, used
when records are found that were missing or outdated.
17. When do you use a delete query?
One would use a delete query when one wants to eliminate information from a database that is
no longer needed or necessary.
18. When do you use a make-table query?
When you want to automatically create a new table from data that already exists in a database.
19. What is relational algebra?
is a procedural query language, which takes instances of relations as input and yields instances
of relations as output. It uses operators to perform queries. An operator can be either unary or
binary. A theoretical way of manipulating a relational database. Relational algebra includes
operations that act on existing tables to produce new tables, similar to the way the operations
of addition and subtraction act on numbers to produce new numbers in the mathematical
algebra with which you are familiar.

20. Describe the purpose of the SELECT command in relational algebra.

The SELECT command takes a horizontal subset of a table. It retrieves specified rows from a
table and saves them as a new table.
21. Describe the purpose of the PROJECT command in relational algebra.
PROJECT command takes a vertical subset of a table; that is, it causes only certain columns to be
included in the new table. The PROJECT command includes the word OVER followed by a list of
the columns to be included.
22. Describe the purpose of the JOIN command in relational algebra.
The operation in which two tables are connected on the basis of common data.
23. Describe the purpose of the UNION command in relational algebra.
A combination of two tables consisting of all records that are in either table
24. Are there any restrictions on the tables when using the UNION command? If so, what are
these restrictions?
Yes there are restrictions, to perform any of the operations, the tables involved must be union
compatible.
25. Describe the purpose of the INTERSECT command in relational algebra.
When comparing tables, an intersection is a new table containing all rows that are in both
original tables
26. Describe the purpose of the SUBTRACT command in relational algebra.
Command for performing the difference of two tables
27. Describe the purpose of the product process in relational algebra.
The table obtained by concatenating every row in the first table with every row in the second
table
28. Describe the results of the division process in relational algebra.
The relational algebra command that combines tables and searches for rows in the first table
that match all rows in the second table
29. In the TAL Distributors database shown in Figure 2-1, the Rep table contains four rows and
the Customer table contains 12 rows. How many rows would be contained in the Cartesian
product of these two tables?
48 rows
30. In Example 23 on page 58, would you get the same result if you performed the PROJECT
command before the JOIN command? Why or why not?
Yes, the PROJECT command selects the columns rather than the rows.