Database

Database is a structured collection of records or

data that is stored in a computer system.
In order for a database to be truly functional, it
must not only store large amounts of records
well, but be accessed easily.
In addition, new information and changes
should also be fairly easy to input. In order to
have a highly efficient database system, we need
to incorporate a program that manages the
queries and information stored on the system

Accessing Information Using a

Database
While creating a database the purpose of creating it
is not justified until it can be retrieved easily.
While storing data is a great feature of databases, one of
the most important feature is quick and simple retrieval
of information.
In a relational database, it is extremely easy to pull up
information , and relational databases also add the
power of running queries.

 Queries are requests to pull specific types of

information and either show them in their natural
state or create a report using the data.
For example: if there is a database of employees
and it included tables such as salary and job
description, we can run a query of which jobs
pay over a certain amount. No matter what kind
of information we store on your database,
queries can be created using SQL to help
answer important questions.

DBMS?
A database management system (DBMS), is a program
that lets one or more computer users create and access
data in a database.
The DBMS manages user requests so that users and
other programs are free from having to understand
where the data is physically located on storage media
and, in a multi-user system, who else may also be
accessing the data.

DBMS Contd
In handling user requests, the DBMS
ensures the integrity of the data (I,e;
making sure it continues to be accessible
and is consistently organized as intended)
and security (making sure only those with
access privileges can access the data).
The most typical DBMS is a relational
database management system (RDBMS).
A standard user and program interface is
the Structured Query Language

RDBMS
A relational database is a collection of data items organized as a set
of formally-described tables from which data can be accessed or
reassembled in many different ways without having to reorganize
the database tables.
The relational database was invented by E. F. Codd at IBM in 1970.
The standard user and application program interface to a relational
database is the structured query language (SQL).
SQL statements are used both for interactive queries for information
from a relational database and for gathering data for reports.
In addition to being relatively easy to create and access, a relational
database has the important advantage of being easy to extend. After
the original database creation, a new data category can be added
without requiring that all existing applications be modified.

SQL ?
SQL (Structured Query Language) is a
database computer language designed for
managing data in relational database
management systems (RDBMS).

 Table: A table is grid of rows and columns

where data are stored.
Forms: Forms are place through which a
user does data entry or a place used to
display information. This part on database
is commonly called front end while location
where data are stored is called backend.
Report: Report is a presentation of data in
a meaningful way. It is a summary of data
in a format suitable for publishing.

Relationship
Tables can be related to each other in a variety of ways.
Dependencies are formed when an attribute of one table
relates to attributes of other tables.
The simplest relationship is the one-to-one relationship,
in which one record in a table is related to another record
in a separate table.
A one-to-many relationship is one in which one record
in a table is related to multiple records in another table. A
many-to-one relationship defines the reverse situation;
more than one record in a single table relates to only one
record in another table.

Concepts on database
ACID Properties:
ACID properties are one of the important
concept for databases.
ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency,
Isolation, and Durability. These properties of a
DBMS allow safe sharing of data. Without these
properties the inaccuracy in the data will be
huge. With the help of the ACID properties the
accuracy can be maintained.

Concepts on database contd

Normalization
Normalization is a design technique which helps to design the
relational databases. Normalization is essentially a two step process
that puts data into tabular form by removing redundant data from the
relational tables. A basic goal of normalization is to create a set of
relational tables that are free of redundant data and data should be
consistent. Normalization has been divided into following forms.
First Normal Form(1NF): A relational table, are in first normal form
when all values of the columns are atomic. It means that it contains
no repeated values.
A relational table is in second normal(2NF) form if it is in 1NF and
every non- key column is fully dependent upon the primary key.
A relational table is in third normal form (3NF) if it is already in 2NF
and every non- key column is non transitively dependent upon its
primary key. The advantage of having table in 3NF is that it
eliminates redundant data which in turn saves space.

Primary Key
A column in a table that makes the row in the table
distinguishable from every other row in the same table.
The value entered must be unique and NOT NULL.
Foreign key
A column in a table that draws its values from a primary
or unique key column in another table. A foreign key
assists in ensuring the data integrity of a table.
Secondary key
A key that holds the physical location of a record or a
portion of a record in a file or database, and provides an
alternative means of accessing data. Also known as
alternate key.

Difference between Database and

Spreadsheet (Database)
Usually, only one datatype can be stored in a database
table column.
Columns in a database table have a fixed value.
Single rows of a database table are uniquely identified
by a unique value (typically a primary key)
Multiple users can access a database table at the same
time, with various combinations of read and write
capabilities in different parts of the database.
A database usually has transaction-control capabilities,
making it possible to roll back a change if something
happened to prevent it from completing successfully
(such as a power failure).

Difference between Database and

Spreadsheet(Spreadsheet)contd
More than one datatype can be stored in a spreadsheet
Cells in a spreadsheet can be defined as a formula,
making the contents variable depending on other cells.
A spreadsheet has only the physical row number to
make it unique, and no built-in way to enforce
uniqueness of a given spreadsheet row.
Usually, only one user can have write access to the
spreadsheet at any given time; anyone else is locked
out, even if the second user is on a different part of the
spreadsheet.
A spreadsheet does not have any built-in transactioncontrol capabilities, such as ensuring that a group of
changes to the sheet is completely applied or not applied
at all.