Databases
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 3.2.2
Flat-File Databases
Flat-file databases are used to store records of information in order to be searched or queried at a later date.
Structure of flat-file databases
- A flat-file database is one that has a single table to store data about an 'entity'.
- The table stores data in fields (columns) such as date of birth.
- A record (row) of information is a complete set of fields put together.
- This could be a person's details such as name, address, date of birth, telephone number.
Redundancy
- Redundant data is data that is repeated in a database.
- A single table file is inefficient as it is full of redundant data
Primary key
- A primary key is a field used to uniquely identify a specific row of data in a table.
- For example, each student in a college database will have a student ID number that is unique to each student that can be used as a primary key
Test yourself on Databases
Which of the following is a suitable primary key for a database of office workers?
What is the term used for 'Date of Birth' in a database?