Basic Database Design Concepts
The Fundamentals of Database Design
To end up with a good ‘relational database’ application, you need to ask: Do I actually need one? If so, how far do you want to take it? By this I mean, is this to be a simple database to store information about only one, or very few, related entities (i.e. a list of people who attended a certain event, and how they came to hear about the event) which are not likely to change; or a permanent and well used application with several different entities (i.e. Staff, Departments, Branches, SalesFigures for various periods/staff members/departments) which are constantly changing. If the forma is the case, a simple ‘Flat File’ database is all that is required. There are several basic database products on the market that will fully service this requirement but all that is needed is a table in MS Word for Windows or a basic Spreadsheet application, such as MS Excel. If the later is the case, then a Relational Database is needed. Although there are many products on the market, they have several common features and all use some form of SQL (Structured Query Language) to build, edit and query the database.
MS Access is one of the most commonly used applications because it ships with MS Office, which is used by almost everyone now. Access is not actually a database but a GUI (Graphic User Interface) for working on databases, and a (albeit quite basic) DBMS (DataBase Management System). Although Access can be used on any database system, it is usually used as a ‘Front End’ GUI to Access SQL Server ‘Back End’ databases. Recent versions of MS Access shipped complete with a cut down version of SQL Server already built in so can perform several more sophisticated tasks than previous Access versions (which shipped with the Jet Database Engine). Unless the user sets Access to connect to a different database, it will automatically build, and seamlessly connect to, the database engine which shipped with the version in use. In summary,
To end up with a good ‘relational database’ application, you need to ask: Do I actually need one? If so, how far do you want to take it? By this I mean, is this to be a simple database to store information about only one, or very few, related entities (i.e. a list of people who attended a certain event, and how they came to hear about the event) which are not likely to change; or a permanent and well used application with several different entities (i.e. Staff, Departments, Branches, SalesFigures for various periods/staff members/departments) which are constantly changing. If the forma is the case, a simple ‘Flat File’ database is all that is required. There are several basic database products on the market that will fully service this requirement but all that is needed is a table in MS Word for Windows or a basic Spreadsheet application, such as MS Excel. If the later is the case, then a Relational Database is needed. Although there are many products on the market, they have several common features and all use some form of SQL (Structured Query Language) to build, edit and query the database.
MS Access is one of the most commonly used applications because it ships with MS Office, which is used by almost everyone now. Access is not actually a database but a GUI (Graphic User Interface) for working on databases, and a (albeit quite basic) DBMS (DataBase Management System). Although Access can be used on any database system, it is usually used as a ‘Front End’ GUI to Access SQL Server ‘Back End’ databases. Recent versions of MS Access shipped complete with a cut down version of SQL Server already built in so can perform several more sophisticated tasks than previous Access versions (which shipped with the Jet Database Engine). Unless the user sets Access to connect to a different database, it will automatically build, and seamlessly connect to, the database engine which shipped with the version in use. In summary,