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Lesson 4:
Database Applications
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4.1
What is a Database?
In its simplest form, a database is a collection of information that is organized into a list. Just think about the telephone directory, you can see that it is a database. Whenever you make a list of information, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, you are, in fact, creating a database. Technically speaking, a database is a collection of interrelated files stored together with minimum redundancy. In other words, it is a structured collection of related data. The data stored in a database is structured and well organized. Imaging how a book is organized. Generally, when you look at a book, it is set into chapters, paragraphs and sentences. Similarly data in a database also organized manner. In a database you find tables, records and fields.
4.2
Database Applications
What is a Database Management System (DBMS)? A database management system (DBMS) is software used to manage the organization, storage, access, security and integrity of data in a structured database. There are different types of DBMS products: relational, network and hierarchical. The most widely commonly used type of DBMS today is the Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). Following a is list of Relational Database Management Systems use today Enterprise type RDBMS o Oracle o SQL Server o Informix. RDBMSs for PCs o Access (Developed by Microsoft) o Paradox (Developed Corel) o Approach (Developed by Lotus) o BASE (From OpenOffice.Org)
What is Microsoft Access? Microsoft Access is a relational database management system that used in WINDOWS environment to Store, Retrieve, and Manage data. What is a Relational Database? An organized database is composed of inter-related parts. Since you define these parts, you also organize them in a manner that helps some parts of your database to supply specific information to others. In one part, you would cover one category of data, such as student's personal information (name, date of birth, city, sex, etc), in another you would cover what subjects they follow.
4.3
You could start the MS Access using one of the following methods: a. If the Accesss application icon is available on the Desktop, Double Click on it b. Choose Start All Programs Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Access 2003 c. By Double Clicking a MS Access Database (this way MS Access will stat automatically) When MS Access starts, your screen may look like the following: (if you start MS Access using Option (a) or (b) above)
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Figure 4.1: Starting Screen of MS Access You can now either create a new database or open an existing one.
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UCSC