What is a database?

• A database is an organized collection of information (stored on a computer)
• Information is organised into tables - each table contains records, fields and data.  
• Information stored in a table can be printed or displayed in a chart.
• The information can be sorted into a particular order
• The information can be searched for particular attributes e.g. in the customer table below you could search for all the people called "Mike" and print out their full name, address and telephone number.   A search is normally called a query
• It is also possible to link more than 1 table using relationships and search for information contained in all tables.

Here is an example of a database table

• It contains 4 fields
• It has 3 records
• It has 12 pieces of data

Here is an example of a database record presented as a form (the database contains many such records)

• It has 9 fields
• It has 9 items of data

TASKS

1    Write down the definitions of field, record and data from
      http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/ or http://www.maran.com/dictionary/index.html

2    Look at the database table below

    a)    How many records are there?
    b)    How many fields are there?
    c)    How many items of data are there?
    d)    Write down an example of a field
    e)    Write down an example of a record
    f)    Write down an example of data
    g)    Write the name of a field that contains a number
    h)    Write the name of a field that contains date/time
    i)      There are 2 text fields in the table below - write their names
   

3       Look at the database table below

    a)    How many records are there?
    b)    How many fields are there?
    c)    How many items of data are there?
    d)    Write down an example of a field
    e)    Write down an example of a record
    f)    Write down an example of data
    g)    None of the fields are considered to be a number field - why are the telephone numbers NOT numbers?
    h)    Why is Address split over 3 fields (hint - why would this be good if you were searching or sorting the data?)
   

4   Explain in your own words: field, record, data

5    Sorts and Queries

Keywords: 

• ascending = 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c
• descending = 3, 2 1 or c, b, a
• > is greater than
• < is less than

    a)    If the ArtistName field was sorted in ascending order whose name would appear first?
    b)    If the ArtistAge field was sorted in descending order whose name would appear first?
    c)    If a query was on ArtistAge with the criteria >50.  Whose names would appear?
    d)    If a query was run on Nationality with the criteria NOT English or Welsh whose names would appear?
    e)    If a query was run on Artist Age with the criteria <40 and on Nationality with the criteria "English" whose names would appear?
    f)    Why do you think the ArtistName field has surnames followed by first names?

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