INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DATABASE (MICROSOFT ACCESS)
DATABASE
A database is a large collection of data in a computer file. The data is
held in a structured form so it is easy to find the information you
need.
A database is typically made up of one or more tables.
TABLE
A table is made up of rows and columns. The rows of the table are
database records. Each record stores all the information about a
particular item or person (called an entity). An entity is anything you
want to store information about.
The columns of the table are database fields. Each field stores a
single item of information (called an attribute). An entity has
attributes. These are the facts you know about the entity. Use the
term attribute when referring to facts about the entity.
RECORD
A record stores all the information about a single entity. Here are
some key facts about records:
 In a typical database table a record is shown as a single row
of the table.
 Every record in a table has the same fields in the same
order.
 A record is sometimes called a tuple.
FIELD
A field stores a single piece of information, also called an attribute.
 In a typical database table, a field is shown as a single
column of the table.
 Every field has a name. The field appears at the top of the
column.
 Every field has a size. This shows how much information
can be stored in that field.
 Every field has a data type.
KEY FIELDS
Every record in the database must have an attribute that is unique.
That is so you can tell that record apart from all the other records in
the database. This field is called the primary key.
The primary key is often a code number which identifies each entity
in the database. In a school, students might have a code number
which appears on a school id that they have.
REASONS DATABASES ARE USEFUL
Standardization
Every record in a database has the same structure. This means the
database user knows what information is held, and in what form.
Fast retrieval
The way the information is organized makes it easy for the computer
to find items of data in the database.
Large size
You can store thousands of records in a database, and still find the
ones you want.
Multiple views
You can produce many different useful outputs from a database, in
different orders, with different records or fields.
AD HOC QUERY
This is a latin phrase that literally means ‘for this’. It is used
nowadays to mean ‘for just this once’ or ‘one time only’. In database
work an ad hoc query is a new unplanned query, that might only be
asked once.
DATABASE DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Database design must take into account a number of principles, for
example:
 There must be a way to identify every record in the
database, so that the user can find information.
 Data must be stored in a standard way throughout the
database.
 Each item of data should be stored once only.
To help identify and find every record in the database, a key is used.
USE OF IDENTIFYING KEYS
There must be some way to distinguish each record from all the other
records in the database. Fields such as Name or Date of birth are not
always unique. For example a school might have more than one
student with the same name. For this reason it is necessary to have a
key field which is different for every record in the database.
Primary key
Most database tables include primary key field which stores a unique
value. The primary key is often a code number which identifies each
entity in the database. In a school, students might have a student
number which appears on a school card that they carry. The primary
key is usually the first field in the table.
Alternate key
If there are other fields as well as the primary key field which could
be used for the same purpose, those are called alternate key fields.
Composite key
Sometimes a database designer decides to do without a primary key
and uses a composite key instead. A composite key is made by
taking values from more than one field to find a unique way of
identifying each record.
Candidate key
Together, all these keys: primary keys, composite keys and alternate
keys of the database are called candidate keys. They are all possible
ways of identifying the records in the database.
Secondary key
As well as the candidate keys, a database designer might define a
secondary key. This is a field that is not necessarily unique for each
record in the database, but is very useful when you need to find a
record. It might be used to sort or reorder the database.
Foreign key
Foreign keys are keys that are used to link together different tables in
a relational database
TABLE STRUCTURES
Before you create a table in your database, it would be wise for you
to plan what you want it to contain. You need to think about the field
names, field types and field sizes. Such a plan is called the table
structure. For example, if you want to create a table called Personal
Details that stores the name, address, date of birth, age, gender,
average mark, passed and fees rate of students, you might create a
table structure like the one below.

Database Objects and their meanings FIELD NAME FIELD TYPE FIELD SIZE
First Name Text 20
Last Name Text 20
OBJECT DESCRIPTION Date Of Birth Date/Time Pre-Set Field Size
A collection of related data about a subject (person, Age Number Long Integer
Table place or thing) Gender Text 10
Average Mark Number Long Integer
A method used to enter, view or print the information in
Passed Yes/No Pre-Set Field Size
Form a table other than as rows and columns Fees Rate Currency Pre-Set Field Size
A means of storing and answering questions about
Query information in a database
A customized printout or hard copy of the information Notice that you have to split the name into First and Last name fields.
Report in a table or in the response to a query That is because you want to sort the records on last name only, which
A series of instructions that can be saved and used over would not be possible if the whole name is stored as one field. Fields
Macro and over again like date of birth, passed, fees rate and currency do not need a field
Programs written in Visual Basic to customize and size as their field sizes are pre-set.
Modules further automate your database

CREATING TABLES