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Flashcards

Topic 8 MLFs: Databases

Abigail Clarke My resources GCSE English 52 cards

Cards in this deck (52)

  1. 1Topic 8 Must Learn Facts: Information-Handling SoftwareTopic 8 Must Learn Facts: Information-Handling Software
  2. 2What is a database?An organised collection of related data. it is possible to add, edit, manage and retrieve data from a database. the structure of a database allows data to be found and used quickly.
  3. 3What is the description a number (integer)?A whole number (positive or negative), but no fractions.
  4. 4What is the description a number (real)?Any number, including whole numbers and fractions.
  5. 5What is the description text or string?Letters, numbers or other characters such as punctuation marks.
  6. 6What is the description a date/time?Any time or date; the way the time or date is displayed depends on how it is formatted.
  7. 7What is the description a currency?Money £ (including foreign currency $ or €)
  8. 8What is the description of Boolean data?Two opposing states e.g. true or false, male or female, yes or no.
  9. 9What is the description of list data?A list of values, sometimes called a "drop-down" list; only data from the list can be selected.
  10. 10What is the description of a picture?Image data, from a digital camera, mobile phone, the internet, a clip-art library, scanned in image, etc.
  11. 11What is the description of video?A moving picture, that consists of lots of single frames that are each slightly different to create the illusion of movement.
  12. 12What is a field?A field is a single item of data within a record.
  13. 13What is a record?A record consists of a collection of related fields.
  14. 14What is a file?A file (known as a table in Microsoft Access) is a collection of related fields.
  15. 15What is an example of a field?Surname: text, date of birth: date/time, selling price: currency.
  16. 16What is an example of a record?Pupil's record in a school database only has information about them. E.g. surname, forename, class, etc.
  17. 17What is an example of a file/table?The table of records of all the pupils in a school.
  18. 18What is a key field?A key field uniquely identifies each record. No two records have the same data in their key field. Also known as a primary key.
  19. 19What is validation?Data entered into a database must be sensible or we get GIGO. Validation methods can only ensure reasonable and sensible data is input into a system, but there is no certainty the data is correct.
  20. 20What is a validation rule?Validation rules are needed for some fields. As data is entered it is checked to see that it obeys the rules; and data that does not obey the rules is not accepted. You can also set validation text - the text that appears if the data is not acceptable.
  21. 21What is a range check?A check that ensures data being entered is within a certain range. For example if a test is out of 100 marks, then only marks within the range 0 to 100 are acceptable.
  22. 22What is a type check?A type check ensures that data is of a correct type. For example If the number of bedrooms in a house are being recorded then only integers (whole numbers) are accepted.
  23. 23What is a format/picture check?If the data being entered has a set pattern (e.g. how a date goes DD/MM/YYYY) then a format check will ensure data follows this pattern.
  24. 24What is a length check?When the length of the input is checked for the number of characters used. For example if a forename is being entered it will probably be within 2 and 18 letters.
  25. 25What is a presence check?Ensures that fields that must be entered are entered. E.g. credit card details must be entered when shopping online.
  26. 26What is a lookup list?If data entered consists of a limited number of possible entries then the computer can compare the entry with a list of allowed answers. For example: if the grades in an exam were being recorded and there were no slash grades, then the only inputs allowed would be: A*, A, B, C, D, E or U.
  27. 27What is a report?A report is a printed document that contains data from a database, organised and analysed in a certain way. A report from a student database might list the students in each class in alphabetical order.
  28. 28What is a form?Forms are used to make data entry more attractive and secure rather than entering data into raw tables. It is more secure for looking through and displaying the data because the person entering need not see all other the data or other fields. It also allows instructions to be entered.
  29. 29What is a calculated field?Not all data needed in a report may be present in a database. For example a person's age is never included because it changes day by day. If you want to use age in a report it must be calculated. This result is known as a calculated field.
    the solution is for the database to use the recorded date of birth to calculate the age by subtracting the date of birth from the date of the report.
  30. 30What are 4 uses of a database?- Add, change or delete records
    - Search for a particular record
    - Sort the records into a given order
    - Print reports about some aspect of the database.
  31. 31What is updating records?Records do not stay the same forever. They will need to be updated at some point. For example, people get married and change their surname, people move and change their address or prices of goods change.
  32. 32When would you need to update records?- Add a new record when a new pupil arrives to a new school.
    - Edit existing records when someone moves house
    - Delete an old record when an employee leaves a job.
  33. 33How do you search for data in a database?One main use of a database is to find information quickly. To search for information you use a query. You are "querying a database".
    A query specifies what records you are searching for and what fields from the records you would like to display.
  34. 34What are the 2 types of queries?Simple query search (keyword search) - looks for data in one field
    Complex query search - looks at data with multiple criteria.
  35. 35What is a wildcard?You use wildcard searches in a query for data that you only know a part of. For example: 'Find all the surnames beginning with 'S' in this database'. For this query you would use this wildcard: surname LIKE "*S".
  36. 36What is the AND operator used for?Data that is only listed where either or both conditions are true
  37. 37What is the OR operator used for?Data that is only listed where either or both conditions are true.
  38. 38What is the LIKE operator used for ?Where a perfect match is not needed
  39. 39What does the * wildcard mean?Any number of characters. For example: "S*" would find Smith, Scott, Smithers, etc.
  40. 40What does the ? wildcard do?Finds any character. For example: "Ca?" would find Cat, Cab, Car but not Cart.
  41. 41What does the [ ] wildcard mean?Any character within the brackets could be found. Like 10[TSC] would find 10T, 10S, 10C.
  42. 42What does the [ - ] wildcard do?Finds any character within the range of characters. 10[A-D] would find 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D but not 10E.
  43. 43What does the ! wildcard do?Any character not in the brackets. For example: 10[ABC] would find any other letter in the alphabet other than 10A, 10B or 10C.
  44. 44What are the different ways you can sort data?Results of queries can be presented in a sorted order e.g. alphabetical or in numerical order. Sorts can also be in ascending (A-Z) or descending (Z-A) order.
  45. 45What are the advantages of sorting data?- It is easier if lists are printed as reports.
    - You can identify best customer by the amount they have spent - by sorting them in order of total amount spent.
  46. 46What are the advantages of having secure data?- It cannot be destroyed.
    - It cannot be accidently or maliciously altered.
    - It cannot fail in to the hands of unauthorised people.
  47. 47What are the consequences for a business where data is not secure?- Loss of customers - unhappy customers go elsewhere
    - Payments for goods not being received.
    - Bad publicity - all businesses rely on a good reputation.
  48. 48What are some of the methods of keeping data secure?- Locks
    - Alarms
    - ID Cards
    - Biometric systems
  49. 49How do passwords keep software data secure?Passwords:
    - Authorised users are given a username. Each user also has a password to prove their identity.
    - Using passwords is a method of authentication.
  50. 50How do access rights keep data secure?Access rights (file attributes) can be placed on individual files to give:
    - No right to access the file.
    - Read access (user can view file but not alter it).
    - Write access (allowing the user to alter the contents of the file).
  51. 51How can back-ups keep data secure?A back-up is a second copy of data. If a problem arises with the data file, then the back-up copy is used. Back-ups are:
    - Saved onto a removable media (CD, DVD, memory sticks)
    - Stored at a separate location maybe in a locked area or in a safe.
    - Made regularly.
  52. 52What are the benefits of using a database?- Faster to access: It's easier and quicker to search a database than a filing cabinet.
    - Easy to edit: databases allow data to be easily updated and changed.
    - Validation: you can set checks on the data to ensure no inappropriate data is entered.
    - Reports: results from databases can be put into reports easily.
    - Sharing: a database and its contents can be shared easily with any number of users in a network.
    - Security: passwords can be set so that only authorised users can access the database which is safer than locks on cabinets that can be cut or picked.

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GCSE My resources Flashcards on Topic 8 MLFs: Databases, created by Abigail Clarke on 06/02/2015.
Created by
Abigail Clarke · Feb 2015
Updated
Feb 19, 2016
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