Scribd
Upload
77 views17 pages

Introduction To Relational Databases 1

This document provides an introduction to relational databases. It explains that a relational database uses a table-based structure and establishes relationships between tables using primary and foreign keys. This overcomes issues with flat file data structures like data redundancy and integrity problems. The document gives examples to illustrate how a relational model establishes relationships between customer, order, and order item tables to eliminate data duplication and make the database easier to maintain and keep accurate.

Uploaded by

Sidharth Gupta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
77 views17 pages

Introduction To Relational Databases 1

This document provides an introduction to relational databases. It explains that a relational database uses a table-based structure and establishes relationships between tables using primary and foreign keys. This overcomes issues with flat file data structures like data redundancy and integrity problems. The document gives examples to illustrate how a relational model establishes relationships between customer, order, and order item tables to eliminate data duplication and make the database easier to maintain and keep accurate.

Uploaded by

Sidharth Gupta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

1

Introduction to
Relational Databases 1
2
Relational Databases
As information needs grow and become
more complex, so to do methods of
storing, managing and retrieving the
data.
Database systems evolved to manage
this information and data.
3
Relational Databases
The relational model was developed in
1970 by E.F. Codd
The basic data components in a
relational database are "entities" and
their "attributes" and the basic logical
structure is a "table".
4
Components
Entities
A "thing" in a real world with an
independent existence. Something about
which you want to store data typically: a
person, place, object, concept, or event.
5
Components
Attributes
A characteristic of an entity or object. A
detailed piece of information that describes
an entity.
Tables
Each table is a separate and independent
unit - although tables may be related
6
The Relational Database Model
The simplest model for a database is a
flat file.
You have only a single table which
includes fields for each element you
need to store.
The problem with flat files is that they
waste storage space and are
problematic to maintain.
7
Flat Files
Data redundancy
storing the same information in more than
one file.
E.g. a customers address stored in
more than one file.
Data integrity
maintaining accurate data. If a customers
address is changed will it be changed in all
files? If not the data loses its integrity - it is
inaccurate.
8
Example
Customers
Customer Number
Company Name
Address
City, State,
Phone Number

Orders
Order Number
Order Date


Order Line Items
Item Number
Description
Quantity
Price

Each time an order is placed, you'll need to
repeat the customer information, including
the Customer Number, Company Name, etc.
A company which takes
orders from many
customers
9
Solution
The solution to this problem is to use a
relational model for the data.
This means that in this example each
order entered is related to a customer
record, and each line item is related to
an order record.
10
Solution
A relational database management
system (RDBMS) is a piece of software
that manages groups of records which
are related to one another.
11
Solution
Customers
CustID
CustName
CustAddress
CustCity
CustState
CustPhone

Orders
OrdID
OrdCustID
OrdDate


OrderDetails
ODID
ODOrdID
ODDescription
ODQty
ODPrice


12
Advantages of a RDMS
All data is stored in the database
Data redundancy is reduced
Easier to maintain data integrity
Eliminates the dependence between
programs and data.
The database can operate as a stand
alone application.

13
Keys
A key is simply a field which can be
used to identify a record.
Primary key
A primary key is a field that uniquely
identifies a record in a table.
No two records can have the same value
for a primary key.
14
Keys
Foreign Key
A foreign key represents the value of
primary key for a related table.
Foreign keys are the cornerstone of
relational databases.
15
Example
In the Customers Table, the
CustID field will contain the
data to uniquely identify a
customer. This is the primary
key.
In the Orders table, the
OrdCustID field would hold the
value of the CustID field for the
customer who placed the order.
This makes OrdCustID a foreign
key
16
Solution
Customers
CustID
CustName
CustAddress
CustCity
CustState
CustPhone

Orders
OrdID
OrdCustID
OrdDate


OrderDetails
ODID
ODOrdID
ODDescription
ODQty
ODPrice


Primary Keys
Foreign Keys
In the Orders table, the
OrdCustID field would hold
the value of the CustID field
for the customer who placed
the order.
17
Referential Integrity
This is a validity check
a set of rules that avoids data
inconsistency.
This means that a foreign key cannot be
entered into one table unless it matches
a primary key in another
Referential integrity can also prevent
the deletion of a record if the record has
a primary key that matches foreign keys
in another table.

You might also like