Database key terms Flashcards
Table (entity)
A table consists of one or more records, it is a structure where data is organised in rows and columns
Field (attribute)
A field contains one items of data about a person or thing. it is vertical
Record
A collection of data items related to an object or person (horizontal)
Primary key
Uniquely identifies records in a table
Foreign key
A field in one table which refers to the primary key in another table
Composite key
A composite key is one that consists of two or more fields
Data dictionary
Shows the structure of data items to be used in the database by defining the basic organization of data
Presence check
Checks data has been entered into a field
Range check
Checks that data has been entered within the upper and lower limits
Length check
Ensures the data is the correct number of characters
Type check
Ensures that the data entered is the correct type
Format check
Checks that the data matches the predetermined format
Wireframe
A diagram to show the layout of a page of a multimedia application before coding it
Form and report wireframes (what do they contain)
Logo, Field names, Headers, interactive buttons, Footer, User interaction items
Navigational structure diagram
Shows the pathway between hyperlinks and pages of a multimedia application
ERD diagram
Entity relationship diagram - Planning tool which shows the relationships between tables and data in a database
Relationship
Links two tables in a database using a field that exists in each of the tables
QBE
Query by example - Used to search and extract data from the database to find the answer to a question.
It is a kind of form which the user fills out to find the relevant data. Easier for the user to use as they don’t need to learn how to find data using SQL- Structured Query language
Logical operators
Used to analyse two values and return either a true or false result
SQL statements
Structured query language - Used to create databases and retrieve/process data within a database.
SELECT
FROM
WHERE