1. Database Design
Chapter 3

2. Terminology Why this terminology is important Value-Related Terms
Structure-Related Terms
Relationship-Related Terms
Integrity-Related Terms

3. Why This Terminology is Important
It is used to express and define the special ideas and concepts of the RDM
it is used to express and define the database design process itself
it is used anywhere a relational database or RDMS is discussed

4. Value-related Terms Data Information Null
values that are stored in the database
Information
data that has been processed in a way that makes it meaningful
Null
value is missing or unknown
zero and blanks are not null

5. Structure-related Terms
Table (relation)
contains fields and records
order unimportant
represents objects
clients, students, classes
represents events
Patient visit
validation table holds data specifically for data integrity

6. "Field (attribute)" Field (attribute) Record (tuple)
smallest structure in relational database
characteristic of the subject of the table
multipart, multivalued, calculated field types
Record (tuple)
unique instance of the subject of the table
composed of fields

7. "View" View Keys virtual table
composed of fields from 1 or more tables or validation tables
saved queries
Keys
primary key - uniquely identifies a record within the table
foreign key - field used to establish relationship

8. "Index" Index used to improve data processing
has nothing to do with logical database structure
keys are logical structures to identify records
indexes are physical structures used to optimize data processing

9. Relationship-related Terms
Relationships
connection between a pair of tables
connected by primary and foreign keys
connected by linking table
increase data integrity
reduce redundancy
used as means to define views

10. Types of relationships (cardinality)
one-to-one
single record in the first table related to ONLY one record in the second table
one-to-many
single record in the first table related to one or many records in the second table
single record in second table related to only one record in the first table
Many-to-many
single record in first table can be related to many in the second table
single record in second table can be related to many in the first table