M.S. Access Module CAS 133 Russ Erdman

M.S. Access Module Assignment Overview Two options for the unit: All students complete Units A, B and C In class – create a movie database as a group Out of class – do all of Unit D and some additional activities on your own – You do not have to attend class until the final Practice and review for the Final During last hour on the last day of class we will work through the final. Students choosing the out of class option may want to attend or pick up a copy of the final to practice. The Final is 60 points. Some don’t finish, but those that practice usually have no problems

In Class Option: We will build a video store inventory database. Work modules A, B, C on your own. Bring VHS or DVD cover to class on the date listed in the class schedule – 5 pts. We will work problems 4 and 5 together in class. Note: You must attend the remaining classes! Otherwise, you must do the out of class projects. During the last hour of the last class we will practice the final – you will take a copy home to practice. M.S. Access Module

What is Access? Not just a database (DB), but a Database Management System (DBMS) Databases are to Access as documents are to Word and spreadsheets are to Excel A DBMS is different from a word processing program Doesn’t just create a DB, but manages them. You can add security, define who uses them, manage data, do math on data, query data and create reports. What is a database? Something you create and manage in Access A place for data M.S. Access Module

Access does four different things with a database: 1. Tables: create tables – like an Excel spreadsheet – and put data into it. INPUT for a computer. 2. Queries: create queries – questions your data – can’t easily do it in Excel. PROCESSING for a computer. What is highest expense in January budget? Sort or use min/max in Excel, but you can get quicker answers with Access. A budget is good for Excel. A mailing list is good for Access. 3. Reports: create reports – for example, print out labels for Christmas list or keep track of membership in an organization. Word is not good for this. OUTPUT for a computer. 4. Forms: Input for computer controls what gets put into database. M.S. Access Module

Data vs. Information Database is a storage place for data (raw facts and figures) You can do data entry and have NO CLUE what it is used for. Data is meaningless until you organize it. This is part of basic Information System theory – take CIS 120 for more IS theory. If you find Access is meaningless to you after this section of the class or your eyes glaze over, then don’t go on into CIS for databases. (Perhaps networking will appeal to you.) M.S. Access Module

There are other DBMS applications. AS400 DBMS Oracle DBMS Oracle is a huge and powerful DBMS – more powerful than Access.  Access is small potatoes compared to Oracle, but still powerful. The PCC database is an Oracle DB called Banner. The PCC DB has lots of records to keep track of and lots of data – millions of records. Records are organized into about 2000 tables. M.S. Access Module

Database terminology Entities: anything about which you want to know something. Data are the facts; entities are what the facts are about. Entities can be virtually anything - people, places, events, or concepts. Entities are represented by tables Entity sets are collections of related entities, such as students and classes  These relationships are determined by the DB designer  Entities or tables are the most important objects in an Access database because they contain all of the data within the DB. M.S. Access Module

Database terminology (cont) Record (or tuple) is a row in the table. Contains all the demographics or facts about a single subject in the table.  For example: in the Student Table or Entity a record would contain all the information about one student. Field of the record are the columns of the table. A field is the smallest piece of information (or attribute) in a database, such as the students name. Fields are not usually meaningful in and of themselves. Fields should be simplified or decomposed: separate first name, last name and middle initial. Key field: contains unique information for each record, such as a students SSAN, an ID number, a part number, etc.  Also called a primary key (PK) contains attributes that uniquely identify a particular row. It can be assigned automatically by Access.  A primary key may consist of a single attribute or a combination of attributes - whatever is needed to provide unique identification. M.S. Access Module

Database terminology (cont) Relational database: Access is a relational database More than one table, such as the Customer, Sales and Product tables can share information. Relational comes from the fact that two tables are linked, or related, by a common field. One tables PK (primary key) may be an FK (foreign key) in another table so they can be linked (related) to each other. The PK is useful in searching the DB – a PK can’t repeat. M.S. Access Module

How big is a database? DBs can get very large very fast. PCC database has possibly a million records The DB keeps a history of current courses and all previous courses for the past 10 years. There are as many courses as are listed in the Class Schedule and as many as there has ever been back 10 years. Who owns the Tables (Entities) Course table is managed by Registration Employee table is managed by Human Resources That means they are responsible for security, data entry and accuracy, etc. Whole departments manage the PCC DB, not just one person. M.S. Access Module