CLASS: SSS 3

TOPIC: Database

Definition of Database and DBMS

 Database: Database is a collection of related data and information organized for rapid search
and retrieval. It can also be defined as a persistent, logically coherent collection of inherently
meaningful data, relevant to some aspects of the real world.

 DBMS (Data Base Management System): DBMS is an application software that controls the data
in the database, including overall organization, storage, retrieval, security and data integrity.

 Data is the information in a form suitable for processing by the computer, such as digital
representation of numbers, text, graphic images or sounds.

EXAMPLES OF DBMS PACKAGES

Dbase
Rbase
MS Access
Oracle
Paradox
MYSQL Server
SyBase
FOXPRO
IDMS
System 2000.
Ingres
Postgres
NoSQL
DATACOM/DB
DB2
FOXPRO
INFOMIX
EXAMPLES OF DATABASE APPLICATIONS

The following are examples of database applications:

 computerized library systems
 automated teller machines
 flight reservation systems
 computerized parts inventory systems
 BASIC DATABASE TERMINOLOGIES

 Field: A field is a specific item of information containing a homogenous set of values throughout
the table. Fields appear as columns in a table and as cells in a form. A field is a data element that
is an essential part of a data record. Without it, there would be no record in the database.

 Record: an individual listing of related information consisting of several related fields stored in a
table. A record is also called a row in the datasheet. A database is a row of data in a database
table consisting of a single value from each column of data in the table. The data in the column
of a table are all of the same type of data, while the rows represent a given.

 File: this is a collection of records, for example, a school database. A file is a sequence of
records. The collection of data that makes up a computerized database must be stored
physically on some computer storage medium. The Dbms can then retrieve, update, and process
this data as needed.

 Key: This is a field in a record that holds unique data which identifies that record from other
records in the file or database. Examples of keys are Account no. , product code, student’s
admission no. etc. as an identifier, each key value must be unique in each record.

Types of keys in database include the following:

 Super key

 Candidate key

 Composite key

 Primary key

 Primary Key: A primary key is a field in a table whose value uniquely identifies each record in the
table. Fields that can serve as primary keys are:

 Admission number
 Matriculations number
 BVN
 Driving license number
 phone number
 Email address
 Bank account number
 Finger print
 NIN, etc
 Foreign keys: foreign key used to create relationships between tables.

 Object: An object is a component of a database, such as a table, query, form, or report

a. Query: A query is a request for a particular collection of data in a database.

b. Report: a formatted collection of information organized to provide printed data on a specific subject.
c. Form: A form is a window or screen that contains numerous fields, or spaces to enter data

d. Table: In a database, a table is where all the data in the database is stored. A table in a database,
alternatively known as relation, is a two-dimensional structure used to hold related information. A
database consists of one or more related tables. it corresponds to rows and columns

FORMS OF DATABASE ORGANIZATION

Different forms of database organization are:

1. Hierarchical
2. Network
3. Relational
 Hierarchical database: A hierarchical database model is a data model in which the data is
organized into a tree-like structure. It can also be defined as a design that uses a one-to-many
relationship for data elements. The data is stored as records are connected through links.
Hierarchical database models link several disparate elements to one "owner," or "parent,"
primary record.

 Network Database: A network database is a type of database model wherein multiple member
records or files can be linked to multiple owner files and vice versa. In the network model of a
database, a record can have multiple parents, making the system more flexible compared to the
strict single parents of the hierarchical database.

 Relational Database: A relational database presents information in tables with rows and
columns. Records are arranged in rows while fields are arranged in columns. A relational
database is the most common type of database structure. It is used by most microcomputers.
The various software systems used to maintain relational databases are known as Relational
Database Management Systems (RDBMS).

FEATURES OF DATABASE FORMAT

i. Files are designed as table

ii. Tables comprise rows and columns
iii. Rows contain related information about a record
iv. Columns contain a specific type of information about fields.
STEPS IN CREATING DATABASE

i. Define the structure

ii. Indicate the field type (numeric character, data, text, etc)
iii. Enter data
iv. Save data

APPLICATIONS AND USES OF MS-ACCESS

1. Microsoft Access Used for in Business: Microsoft Access can be used for business for example, you
want to make the data of financial report of your business.
2. Microsoft Access Used for in Schools: MS Access can be used in administration and statistics. It can
also be used for the teachers and students to make the schedules and time table
3. For Office: For office, there are many positions of people who often work with database. For examples
are secretary, HRD, and financial planner.
4. Microsoft Access Used for In the Workplace: It can be used in some organizations for carrying out
activities such as are income and outcome report, activity plan and reports.
5. For Programmer: Programmers also often work with database. MS Access is very useful for
programmers to ease their activities related to programming.
BASIC OPERATIONS ON ALREADY CREATED DATABASE

The following operations can be performed on an existing database

i. Searching
ii. Modifying
iii.Sorting
iv. Reporting
v. Selecting
vi. Inserting
vii Querying, etc

TOPIC: DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM(DBMS)

Definition of Database Management System (DBMS)

 A Database Management System (DBMS) is software that helps users and applications interact
with a database by providing a set of functions to define, create, maintain, and query the
database. It serves as an intermediary between the user, the application, and the actual data
stored in the database.

 A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of programs that enables you to store,
modify, and extract information from a database. There are many different types of database
management systems, ranging from small systems that run on personal computers to huge
systems that run on mainframes.

A DBMS has several key components and functionalities, such as:

 Data Storage: It manages the physical storage of data on disk or in memory, organizing it
efficiently to ensure quick retrieval.

 Data Definition Language (DDL): DBMS provides commands to define the structure of the
database, including creating tables, specifying data types, and setting constraints like primary
keys and foreign keys.
  Data Manipulation Language (DML): It allows users and applications to interact with the data,
including inserting, updating, and deleting records, as well as querying the data using languages
like SQL (Structured Query Language).

 Data Security: DBMS ensures data security by implementing access control mechanisms, such as
user authentication and authorization, to restrict access to sensitive data.

 Data Integrity: It enforces data integrity constraints, like ensuring unique values in a column or
enforcing referential integrity between related tables.

 Concurrency Control: DBMS manages multiple users accessing the database simultaneously,
preventing conflicts and ensuring data consistency.

 Backup and Recovery: It provides mechanisms to back up the database regularly and recover it
in case of data loss or system failures.

ADVANTAGES OF DBMS

The database management system has promising potential advantages, which are explained below:

1. Controlling Redundancy: By having centralized database, repeated data that are not necessary can be
avoided. It is not possible that all redundancy should be eliminated; however, this redundancy can be
controlled.

2. Integrity can be enforced: Integrity of data means that data in database is always accurate, such that
incorrect information cannot be stored in database. In order to maintain the integrity of data, some
integrity constraints are enforced on the database.

3. Inconsistency can be avoided: When the same data is duplicated and changes are made at one site,
which is not propagated to the other site, it gives rise to inconsistency. So, if the redundancy is removed
chances of having inconsistent data is also removed.

4. Data can be shared: A database can be shared by multiple applications in centralized DBMS as
compared to file system, so now applications can be developed to operate against the same stored data.

5. Standards can be enforced: Since DBMS is a central system, so standard can be enforced easily may
be at Company level, Department level, National level or international level.

6. Restricting unauthorized access: When multiple users share a database but access to data and
information in the database will be controlled. For example, only authorized persons are allowed to
access account office data.

7. Providing Backup and Recovery: A DBMS must provide facilities for recovering from hardware or
software failures. The backup and recovery subsystem of the DBMS is responsible for recovery.

DISADVANTAGES OF DBMS

The disadvantages of the database approach are summarized as follows:

1. Complexity: the functionality of a good DBMS makes it an extremely complex piece of software.
2. Size: The complexity of the DBMS makes it an extremely large piece of software, occupying many
megabytes of disk space large amounts of memory to run efficiently.

3. Performance: with the DBMS written for many applications rather than just one, some applications
may not run as fast as they used to.

4. Higher impact of a failure: The centralization of resources increases the vulnerability of the system

5. Cost of DBMS: The cost of DBMS varies significantly, depending on the environment and functionality
provided.

6. Additional Hardware costs: The disk storage requirements for the DBMS may necessitate the
purchase of additional storage space or even additional machines.

7. Cost of Conversion: this include; the cost of converting existing applications to new DBMS and
hardware, cost of training staff to use the new systems and cost of specialist staff to help with
conversion and running of the system.