Chapter 4

Relational Databases

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

4-1

Learning Objectives
Explain the importance and advantages of databases. Describe the difference between database systems and filebased legacy systems.

Explain the difference between logical and physical views of a database.

Explain fundamental concepts of database systems such as DBMS, schemas, the data dictionary, and DBMS languages.

Describe what a relational database is and how it organizes data.

Create a set of well-structured tables to store data in a relational database.

Perform simple queries using the Microsoft Access database.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Data Hierarchy
Field
Attributes about an entity

Record
Related group of fields

File
Related group of records

Database
Related group of files
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4-3

Advantages of Database Systems

Data Integration
Files are logically combined and made accessible to various systems.

Data Sharing

With data in one place it is more easily accessed by authorized users.

Minimizing Data Redundancy and Data Inconsistency

Eliminates the same data being stored in multiple files, thus reducing inconsistency in multiple versions of the same data.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Advantages of Database Systems

Data Independence
Data is separate from the programs that access it. Changes can be made to the data without necessitating a change in the programs and vice versa.

Cross-Functional Analysis

Relationships between data from various organizational departments can be more easily combined.

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Database Terminology
Database Management System (DBMS)
Interface between software applications and the data in files.

Database Administrator (DBA)

Person responsible for maintaining the database

Data Dictionary
Information about the structure of the database
Field names, descriptions, uses
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4-6

Logical vs. Physical

Physical View
Depends on explicitly knowing: How is the data actually arranged in a file Where is the data stored on the computer

Logical View
A Schema separates storage of data from use of the data Unnecessary to explicitly know how and where data is stored.

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4-7

Schemas
Describe the logical structure of a database
Conceptual Level
Organization wide view of the data

External Level
Individual users view of the data Each view is a subschema

Internal Level
Describes how data are stored and accessed
Description of: records, definitions, addresses, and indexes

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4-8

Subschema--User A

Subschema--User B

Subschema--User C
Smith . . . A Jones . . . B Arnold . . .D

Mapping external-level views to conceptual-level schema

Classes

Enroll

Student

Cash Receipt
Mapping conceptual-level items to internal-level descriptions
Student Record Student No. --character [9] Student Name --character [26] SAT Score --integer [2], non-null, index=itemx Class Record Class Name --character [9] Dept No. --integer [4], non-null, index=itemx Course No. --integer [4], non-null, index=itemx

DBMS Languages
Data Definition Language (DDL)
Builds the data dictionary Creates the database Describes the subschema Specifies record or field security constraints

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

Changes the content in the database
Updates, insertions, and deletions

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

4-10

DBMS Languages
Data query language (DQL)
Enables the retrieval, sorting, and display of data from the database
SQL (structured query language) is the standard DQL Example:
SELECT Customer.CustName FROM Customer, Sales WHERE Customer.CustNo = Sales.CustNo AND Sales.Salesperson = Martinez

Report writer
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Relational Database
Relational data model represents the conceptual and external level schemas as if data are stored in tables. Table
Each row, a tuple, contains data about one instance of an entity.
This is equivalent to a record

Each column contains data about one attribute of an entity.

This is equivalent to a field
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A Relational Table

Row (Record)

Each row contains multiple attributes describing an instance of the entity. In this case, inventory.

Same type of data Column (Field)

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

4-13

Attributes
Primary Key
An attribute or combination of attributes that can be used to uniquely identify a specific row (record) in a table.

Foreign Key
An attribute in one table that is a primary key in another table.
Used to link the two tables

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

4-14

Database Design Errors

If database is not designed properly data errors can occur.
Update Anomaly
Changes to existing data are not correctly recorded.
Due to multiple records with the same data attributes

Insert Anomaly
Unable to add a record to the database.

Delete Anomaly
Removing a record also removes unintended data from the database.
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Database Design Errors

Last Name Simpson Simpson Simpson Sanders First Name Alice Alice Alice Ned Sectio n

Student ID 333-33-3333 333-33-3333 333-33-3333 111-11-1111

Phone No. 333-3333 333-3333 333-3333 444-4444

Course No. ACCT-3603 FIN-3213 MGMT-3021 ACCT-3433

Day

Time 9:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 10:00 AM

1 M 3 Th 11 TH 2 T

111-11-1111
111-11-1111 123-45-6789 123-45-6789

Sanders
Sanders Moore Moore

Ned
Ned Artie Artie

444-4444
444-4444 555-5555 555-5555

MGMT-3021
ANSI-1422 ACCT-3433 FIN-3213

5 W
7 F 2 T 3 Th

8:00 AM
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM

Student ID

Last Name

First Name

Phone No.

Course No.

Sect.

Day

Time

333-33-3333
333-33-3333 333-33-3333 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 123-45-6789 123-45-6789

Simpson
Simpson Simpson Sanders Sanders Sanders Moore Moore

Alice
Alice Alice Ned Ned Ned Artie Artie

333-3333
333-3333 333-3333 444-4444 444-4444 444-4444 555-5555 555-5555

ACCT-3603
FIN-3213 MGMT-3021 ACCT-3433 MGMT-3021 ANSI-1422 ACCT-3433 FIN-3213

1 M
3 Th 11 TH 2 T 5 W 7 F 2 T 3 Th

9:00 AM
11:00 AM 12:00 PM 10:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM

Suppose Alice Simpson changes her phone number. You need to make the change in three places. If you fail to change it in all three places or change it incorrectly in one place, then the records for Alice will be inconsistent. This problem is referred to as an update anomaly.

Student ID

Last Name

First Name

Phone No.

Course No.

Sect.

Day

Time

333-33-3333
333-33-3333 333-33-3333 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 123-45-6789 123-45-6789

Simpson
Simpson Simpson Sanders Sanders Sanders Moore Moore

Alice
Alice Alice Ned Ned Ned Artie Artie

333-3333
333-3333 333-3333 444-4444 444-4444 444-4444 555-5555 555-5555

ACCT-3603
FIN-3213 MGMT-3021 ACCT-3433 MGMT-3021 ANSI-1422 ACCT-3433 FIN-3213

1 M
3 Th 11 TH 2 T 5 W 7 F 2 T 3 Th

9:00 AM
11:00 AM 12:00 PM 10:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM

What happens if you have a new student to add, but he hasnt signed up for any courses yet? Or what if there is a new class to add, but there are no students enrolled in it yet? In either case, the record will be partially blank. This problem is referred to as an insert anomaly.

Student ID

Last Name

First Name

Phone No.

Course No.

Sect.

Day

Time

333-33-3333
333-33-3333 333-33-3333 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 111-11-1111 123-45-6789 123-45-6789

Simpson
Simpson Simpson Sanders Sanders Sanders Moore Moore

Alice
Alice Alice Ned Ned Ned Artie Artie

333-3333
333-3333 333-3333 444-4444 444-4444 444-4444 555-5555 555-5555

ACCT-3603
FIN-3213 MGMT-3021 ACCT-3433 MGMT-3021 ANSI-1422 ACCT-3433 FIN-3213

1 M
3 Th 11 TH 2 T 5 W 7 F 2 T 3 Th

9:00 AM
11:00 AM 12:00 PM 10:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM

If Ned withdraws from all his classes and you eliminate all three of his rows from the table, then you will no longer have a record of Ned. If Ned is planning to take classes next semester, then you probably didnt really want to delete all records of him. This problem is referred to as a delete anomaly.

Design Requirements for DBs

1. Every column must be single valued.
2. Primary keys must contain data (not null). 3. Foreign keys must contain the same data as the primary key in another table. 4. All other attributes must identify a characteristic of the table identified by the primary key.
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Normalizing Relational Databases

Initially, one table is used for all the data in a database.
Following rules, the table is decomposed into multiple tables related by:
Primary keyforeign key integration

Decomposed set of tables are in third normal form (3NF).

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