This document discusses databases and their purpose. It defines a database as a collection of records with fields of different data types like text, numbers, dates and booleans. It explains that databases are used to store and organize information in an structured way. Database design involves defining records, fields and field types. Validation and verification help ensure data accuracy. Relational databases differ from flat files in how data is structured and connected. Examples of database fields for student records are given to illustrate concepts.

1. What is a Database?
What is it for?

2. Objectives – Class Database
• Understand what a database is and what it’s for.
• Think about database design
– Records
– Fields
• Field types
– Text, number, date, boolean
• Data accuracy:
– Validation
– Verification
What’s the difference?
Relational vs flat file

3. Examples of databases

4. Examples of databases

5. Databases 101
• Records: All the pupils in this class
• Fields:
– Surname, Forenames
– House
– Date of birth
– Height, weight
– Colour of Hair, Colour of Eyes
– Favourite Film
– Owns an Apple computer.
Text
Single Letter
Date
Number
Multi Choice
Text
Yes/No

6. Databases 101
• Records: All the pupils in this class
• Fields:
– Surname, Forenames
– House
– Date of birth
– Height, weight
– Colour of Hair, Colour of Eyes
– Favourite Film
– Owns an Apple computer.
Step 1: Create a
general form
using WORD that
will make it easy
to fill in the
information

7. ID field - Key field
• Allows the computer to keep track of which
record is which.
• Must be unique to each record, cannot have
duplicates
• Doesn’t need to be understandable by
humans.