Databases and Speadsheets

Databases and Speadsheets

Lesson Objective:

Understand the main features and differences between Database and Spreadsheet software.

Learning Outcome:

Clearly identify the uses of both types of software and use the correct terminology when describing their functions.

Lesson 4

Question

What’s the point of today’s lesson?

Which software do we use?

Database…

Microsoft Access Spreadsheet…

Microsoft ExcelNB In the exam DO NOT mention specific software products like those above. Always refer to them as Database and Spreadsheet applications.

Table (FILE) structure

This is a

RECORD

Each Record contains at least one FIELD

This is the FIELD NAME

NB The exam board prefer to call these things FILES as and not Data Tables … try not to get confused

Key features of databases

Storing large amounts of structured data (using data types and validation)

Searching for items (queries)

Sorting items (queries)

Producing Reports

File and Key Field

Each table usually has a KEY FIELD. The Key Field is UNIQUE to

the record.

The Key Field is used to refer to the record in other data tables (FILES)

Two features of key fields

They are UNIQUE to the record

They are used to REFER to the record in other files

Example

PersonID Name Email Phone GenderSMIC001 Chris Smith [email protected] 0795551112 M

JONA001 Angela Jones [email protected] 0771234823 F

SMIC002 Charlie Smithers [email protected] 0793816944 M

WILB001 Barry Williams [email protected] 0783746252 M

OrderID PersonID ProductID Date Dispatched?100 SMIC001 109 11/9/2008 Y

101 SMIC002 45 13/10/2008 Y

102 JONA001 89 16/10/2008 N

103 SMIC001 125 26/10/2008 N

Key Field

Key Field Foreign key when in another table

Flat file / relational database

A Relational database uses keys and foreign keys across the different data tables.

A flat file database does not make use of keys, the same data is often typed in repeatedly (in this example, the continent name)

Queries

Queries are used to limit the number of fields, the number of records and to sort in order.

[Continent] = ‘Europe’ AND [Population] > 40000000

E.g:

Key features of spreadsheets

Formulas to make calculations

Appearance using features like cell fill and conditional formatting

Graphs and charts to display data.

Spreadsheets

Row

Column

Cell

Cells can contain Text, Numbers or Formulae. What is the formula in Cell D16? =B16*C16

Conditional Formulas

What formula would you put in cell C3 to indicate a retake if the exam mark is below 40?

=IF( <B3 40,”Yes”,”No” )

Graph plotting and charts

What would you do to create a chart to show the cost of feeding the animals?

Select the relevant data in columns, then apply the chart wizard