Appendix: Normalizing Tables in a Relational Database 379

23. Does a user

user view always
always require
require multiple
multiple tables to 25. Can two different
different entities
entities have the same defining
defining
support it? Explain. attributes? Explain.
24. What two condition
conditionss must valid entities
entities meet?
meet?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Explain how a hashing
hashing structure
structure works
works and why it 12. Explai
Explainn how to link tables in a 1:1 associatiassociation.
on.
is quicker than using an index. Give an example. If  Why may this be different in a 1:0,1 association?
it is so much faster, why isn t it used exclusively?
’ exclusively? 13. Discus
Discusss the accountin
accountingg implica
implicatiotions
ns of the up-
2. Explain
Explain how an embeddembedded ed audit module
module works
works date, insertion, and deletion anomalies associated
and why auditors may choose not to use it. with improperly normalized tables.
3. Expl
Explaiain theterm navigational
n theterm navigational data models
models. Contrast
Contrast 14. Give three
three examples
examples that illustrate
illustrate how cardinality 
cardinality 
the hierarchical model and the network model. reflects an organization
organization s underlying business rules.
’

4. Explain
Explain the three
three types
types of anomali
anomalies
es associated
associated 15.
15. Expl
Explai
ain
n the foll
follow
owiningg three
three types
types of point
pointer
ers:
s:
with
with datab
database
ase table
tabless that
that have
have not
not been
been nor-
nor- physical address pointer, relative address pointer,
malized. and logical key pointer.
5. Contrast
Contrast embedded audit audit modules with general-
general- 16.
16. Expl
Explai
ain
n why GAS techno technolo logy
gy is popu
popular
lar with
with
ized audit software. most auditors.
auditors.
6. Descri
Describebe a specif
specific
ic accoun
accountingting applicatio
applicationn that 17.
17. Expl
Explai
ain
n the risk assoassoci
ciate
atedd with
with using
using GAS to
could make use of an VSAM file. access complex file structures.
7. Explain whywhy auditors should
should be familiar
familiar with the 18. Explai
Explainn the purpose
purpose of the input file definitio
definition
n
principle of data normalization. feature of ACL.
8. How is a user
user view differe
different
nt from a database
database table?
table? 19. Assume
Assume that an auditoauditorr is reviewi
reviewing
ng a file
file con-
9. Explain
Explain what
what the term  third
term third normal form   (3NF) taining
taining twenty-f
twenty-five
ive fields
fields of data,
data, only
only five of 
means. whic
whichh are
are rele
relevan
vantt to the auditoauditorr s object
’ objective.
ive.
10.
10. Why is a sepaseparat
ratee link
link table
table requir
required
ed when an Explain how ACL can help in this situation.
M:M association exits between related tables? 20. Explai
Explainn the purpose
purpose of ACL s filter capability.
’

11. In a relational database

database environment,
environment, certain
certain ac- 21. Distinguish
Distinguish between
between record sampling
sampling and mone-
counting records (for example, journals, subsidi- tary unit sampling (MUS).
ary ledger
ledgers,
s, and event
event general
general ledger
ledger accoun
accounts)
ts)
may not exist. How is this possible?

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. CIA 1186
1186 III-3
III-333 c. batc
batchh file
file..
In an inventory system on a database manage- d. rando
random m file
file..
ment
ment system,
system, one stored record contains
contains part 3. It is appropriate
appropriate to use a sequential
sequential file structure
structure
number, part name, part color, and part weight. when
These individual items are called a. record
recordss are routine
routinely ly inserte
inserted.
d.
a. fiel
fields
ds.. b. a large
large portion
portion of of the file
file will
will be proces
processed
sed in
b. store
storedd file
files.
s. one operation.
operation.
c. byte
bytes.
s. c. record
recordss need to be be scanned
scanned using
using secon
secondary 
dary 
d. occurr
occurrencences.
es. keys.
2. CIA 586 III-31
III-31 d. single
single recor
records ds need
need to be retri
retrieve
eved.
d.
The use of pointers can save time when sequen- 4. Which
Which stateme
statement is not  correct?
nt is not   correct?
tially updating a a. The sequen
sequentialtial file
file structur
structuree is appropr
appropriate
iate
a. master
master filefile.. for payroll records.
b. databas
databasee manag
manageme
ement
nt syste
system.
m. b. An advanta
advantage ge of a sequ
sequenti
ential
al index
index is that
that it
can be searched rapidly.

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380 Chapter 8:  Data Structures and CAATTs for Data Extraction

c. The index sequential access method performs c. it remains unchanged when disks are
record insertion operations efficiently. reorganized.
d. The principal advantage of the hashing d. all of the above are advantages of the physical
structure is speed of access. address pointer.
5. Which of the following statements is  not  true? 11. Pointers are used
a. Indexed random files are dispersed through- a. to link records within a file.
out the storage device without regard for b. to link records between files.
physical proximity with related records. c. to identify records stored in overflow.
b. Indexed random files use disk storage space d. all of the above.
efficiently. 12. In a hierarchical model,
c. Indexed random files are efficient when a. links between related records are implicit.
processing a large portion of a file at one b. the way to access data is by following a pre-
time. defined data path.
d. Indexed random files are easy to maintain in c. an owner (parent) record may own just one
terms of adding records. member (child) record.
6. Which statement is not   correct? The indexed d. a member (child) record may have more than
sequential access method one owner (parent).
a. is used for very large files that need both 13. In a network model,
direct access and batch processing. a. there is one predefined path to a particular
b. may use an overflow area for records. record.
c. provides an exact physical address for each b. many-to-many relationships are supported in
record. a simple network.
d. is appropriate for files that require few  c. management can track and report informa-
insertions or deletions. tion by one criterion only.
7. Which statement is true about a hashing structure? d. link files are used to connect records in dif-
a. The same address could be calculated for two ferent files.
records. 14. Which term is not   associated with the relational
b. Storage space is used efficiently. database model?
c. Records cannot be accessed rapidly. a. tuple
d. A separate index is required. b. attribute
8. In a hashing structure, c. collision
a. two records can be stored at the same d. relation
address. 15. In the relational database model,
b. pointers are used to indicate the location of  a. relationships are explicit.
all records. b. the user perceives that files are linked using
c. pointers are used to indicate the location of a pointers.
record with the same address as another c. data are represented on two-dimensional
record. tables.
d. all locations on the disk are used for record d. data are represented as a tree structure.
storage. 16. In the relational database model, all of the follow-
9. Pointers can be used for all of the following ing are true except
except a. data are presented to users as tables.
a. to locate the subschema address of the b. data can be extracted from specified rows
record. from specified tables.
b. to locate the physical address of the record. c. a new table can be built by joining two tables.
c. to locate the relative address of the record. d. only one-to-many relationships can be
d. to locate the logical key of the record. supported.
10. An advantage of a physical address pointer is that 17. In a relational database,
a. it points directly to the actual disk storage a. the user s view of the physical database is the
’

location. same as the physical database.

b. it is easily recovered if it is inadvertently  b. users perceive that they are manipulating a
lost. single table.
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
 Appendix: Normalizing Tables in a Relational Database 381

c. a virtual table exists in the form of rows and b. is a name given to one of the three anomalies
columns of a table stored on the disk. that result from unnormalized database tables.
d. a programming language (COBOL) is used to c. can exist only in a table with a composite
create a user s view of the database.
’ primary key.
18. The update anomaly in unnormalized databases d. cannot exist in tables that are normalized at
a. occurs because of data redundancy. the 2NF level.
b. complicates adding records to the database. e. is none of the above.
c. may result in the loss of important data. 24. A partial dependency 
d. often results in excessive record insertions. a. is the result of simultaneous user requests for
19. The most serious problem with unnormalized the same data in a partitioned database
databases is the environment.
a. update anomaly. b. is a name given to one of the three anomalies
b. insertion anomaly. that result from unnormalized database
c. deletion anomaly. tables.
d. none of the above. c. can exist only in a table with a composite
20. The deletion anomaly in unnormalized databases primary key.
a. is easily detected by users. d. may exist in tables that are normalized at the
b. may result in the loss of important data. 2NF level.
c. complicates adding records to the database. e. is none of the above.
d. requires the user to perform excessive updates. 25. Repeating group data
21. The data attributes that a particular user has per- a. is a form of data redundancy common to
mission to access are defined by the replicated databases in a distributed database
a. operating system view. environment.
b. systems design view. b. is a name given to one of the three anomalies
c. database schema. that result from unnormalized database tables.
d. user view. c. can exist only in a table with a composite
e. application program. primary key.
22. Database entities d. cannot exist in tables that are normalized at
a. may contain zero or many occurrences. the 2NF level.
b. are represented as verbs in an ER diagram. e. is none of the above.
c. may represent both physical assets and in- 26. The database model most likely to be used in the
tangible phenomena. development of a modern (not legacy) system is
d. are often defined by common attributes that a. hierarchical.
also define other entities. b. structured.
e. are unique to a specific user view. c. relational.
23. A transitive dependency  d. network.
a. is a database condition that is resolved e. navigational.
through special monitoring software.

PROBLEMS
1. Access Methods a. Retrieve a record from the file based on its primary 
For each of the following file processing operations, in- key value.
dicate whether a sequential file, indexed random file, b. Update a record in the file.
indexed sequential access method (VSAM), hashing, or c. Read a complete file of records.
pointer structure works the best. You may choose as d. Find the next record in a file.
many as you wish for each step. Also indicate which e. Insert a record into a file.
would perform the least optimally. f. Delete a record from a file.
g. Scan a file for records with secondary keys.

Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.