Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases brings the elements of a database together using easy to understand language, perfect for the true beginner. It not only gives specific hands on practice, but also provides an overview of designing, maintaining and using a database. This book covers what databases are used for, why databases are important, why the design of the database is important, database normalization, keys to solid database design, differences in types of databases, and indexes--what they are, how we use them, and why they are important.
Author(s): John Petersen
Series: Absolute Beginner's Guide
Edition: 1
Publisher: Que
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 337
Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Contents at a Glance......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 6
INTRODUCTION......Page 14
DATABASE BASICS I PART......Page 18
1 AN INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES......Page 20
What Is a Database?......Page 21
How Databases Are Used......Page 22
Typical Database Management Systems Used Today......Page 23
Key Database Terminology......Page 24
The Relational Database Model: An Overview......Page 26
Database-Related Careers......Page 30
What You Have Learned......Page 31
2 THE ANATOMY OF A REAL DATABASE......Page 32
An Introduction to Microsoft Access......Page 33
The Sample Northwind Traders Database......Page 35
What You Have Learned......Page 53
DESIGNING AND BUILDING YOUR FIRST DATABASE II PART......Page 56
3 AN INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE DESIGN......Page 58
Your Project: A Time Entry and Billing Database......Page 59
Determine the Requirements of the Database......Page 60
Introduction to Database Modeling......Page 63
Model the Time Entry and Billing Database......Page 75
What You Have Learned......Page 79
4 DATABASE DESIGN CONTINUED: AN INTRODUCTION TO NORMALIZATION......Page 82
What Does It Mean to Normalize a Database?......Page 83
Steps to Normalize Your Data Model......Page 84
Denormalize Data—When Does It Make Sense to Break the Rules?......Page 96
Normalization Applied—Review the TEB Database and Refine the Design......Page 97
What You Have Learned......Page 106
5 USING ACCESS TO BUILD THE TIME ENTRY AND BILLING DATABASE......Page 108
Automatically Generate the Database from the TEB Model......Page 109
A Brief Review of the Access Database Designer......Page 112
Use the Design to Create the Time Entry and Billing Database......Page 116
What You Have Learned......Page 130
MAINTAINING YOUR DATABASE—AN INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE INTEGRITY III PART......Page 132
MAINTAINING INTEGRITY THROUGH DATA VALIDATION RULES 6......Page 134
An Overview of How Validation Rules Work in Databases......Page 135
Implement Field-Level Rules......Page 136
Implement Row-Level Rules......Page 156
What You Have Learned......Page 158
7 THE BASICS OF REFERENTIAL INTEGRITY......Page 160
Why Maintaining Referential Integrity Is Important......Page 161
How Referential Integrity Works......Page 162
What You Have Learned......Page 167
USING YOUR DATABASE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION— AN INTRODUCTION TO SQL IV PART......Page 170
SQL BASICS 8......Page 172
SQL Overview......Page 173
Select Statement......Page 177
Filter Results I: Use the Where Clause......Page 183
Organize Output I: Use the Order By Clause......Page 185
Combine Multiple Tables: Use the Join Statement......Page 189
Combine Multiple Resultsets: Use the Union Clause......Page 197
What You Have Learned......Page 199
9 SQL—GOING BEYOND THE BASICS......Page 200
Organize Output II: Use the Group By Clause......Page 201
Use Aggregate Functions......Page 203
Filter Results II: Use the Having Clause......Page 219
Filter Results III: Create Parameterized SQL Statements......Page 220
Modify Data with the Insert, Update, and Delete Statements......Page 223
What You Have Learned......Page 228
MAKING SQL QUERIES A PART OF YOUR DATABASE 10......Page 230
An Overview of the Access Query Designer......Page 231
Create Advanced Queries......Page 241
What You Have Learned......Page 247
PUTTING YOUR DATABASE TO WORK— BUILDING A SIMPLE ACCESS DATABASE APPLICATION V PART......Page 248
11 BUILDING THE USER INTERFACE COMPONENTS......Page 250
Overview of the Access Form Designer......Page 251
Create Forms for the TEB Application......Page 252
Create a Main Menu Form......Page 271
What You Have Learned......Page 275
12 PROVIDING USEFUL OUTPUT: AN INTRODUCTION TO CREATING AND DESIGNING REPORTS......Page 276
Overview of the Access Report Designer......Page 277
Create Reports for the TEB Application......Page 278
Add Report Items to the Main Menu Form......Page 285
What You Have Learned......Page 288
A THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEB DATABASE......Page 290
B TEB REFERENTIAL INTEGRITY RULES......Page 296
C GLOSSARY......Page 298
D DATABASEORIENTED PERIODICALS......Page 308
E WEB-BASED RESOURCES......Page 310
Index......Page 312
