Week 10: Muddy

During week 10 of this course we learned about Database Management. After completing this topic we should have been able to do the following:

• Define what a database is
• Describe different users of information
• Identify the qualities of valuable information
• Discuss the terms character, fields, key fields, data types, records, files and tables
• Identify file maintenance techniques and how they are different than databases
• Describe the most common types of databases
• Describe the fundamental concepts of the relational database model
• Understand the hierarchy within relational databases
• Describe the Microsoft Access relational database management system and its components
• Create tables, import data, create queries, forms and reports using MS Access
• Explain how to interact with web databases
• Describe basic database design guidelines

After completing the required readings and watching the lectures and doing the access scavenger hunt, the concept of database management was still quite unclear to me.

After doing some outside research, I found that according to webopedia.com database management is simply a collection of programs that enables you to store, modify, and extract information from a database.

There are many different types of DBMSs, ranging from small systems that run on personal computers to huge systems that run on maniframes. The following are examples of database applications:

computerized library systems

• automated teller machines

flight reservation systems

• computerized parts inventory systems

As I went through the lectues, I had a hard time remembering/understanding what a query was. Webopeda.com gave a great breakdown of this concept: it stated that
queries were requests for information from a database, which is a stylized question.

For example, the query: SELECT ALL WHERE NAME = "SMITH" AND AGE > 35 requests all rescords in which the NAME field is SMITH and the AGE field is greater than 35.

Doing outside research on this topic has really helped me to clearly understand the concepts presented in this section.