Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Dear Class:

Database

Day One:

What is a database?

Why use a database—information about customers, information about inventories, any type of information a business would need. You can design, manipulate, sort, and print.

Who has a database—schools, libraries, government, stores, banks, business on inventory and employees
Internet Search:
Who won the Heisman trophy 2 years in a row?? (1974 1975 Archie Griffen
Who Was David Douglas named after?? (David Douglas, a botanist)
Who are some notable alumni from David Douglas??

Record?

Field?
Requirements: contain a unique name, describe the field, <= 64 characters, cannot begin with a space, can’t use . , ! [ ]

Fields have data types—text, number, currency, date/time, yes/no, OLE Object (picture), hyperlink (address), lookup wizard (giving options)

Field size—usually default works but you can assign different sizes
Who has a long name that always gets cut off???

Icebreaker—creating a database about our class
What do we want to find out about each other—pick 10 fields

First Name
Last Name
Age
Favorite Food
Favorite Color
Gender
Eye Color
Birth Month
Job
Database Exp
Programming Exp
Grade
Hobbies
Siblings
Middle School
Sports


Write them on a piece of paper
Pair up to find out information about someone in the class—record it on paper

Let’s put our class in a database. . .

Create a database
Different programs: MS ACCESS, Oracle, Dbase
We use ACCESS
Determine fields and data types
Enter your own data on the first line and SAVE it.

Pass the papers around the room and have each of you enter all the informtion on your own computer.

Open WORD document and create a “Database Notes” file
Vocabulary: database, field, record, data types