Managing Databases
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 3.2.5
Managing Data
When populating a database with data, we need to consider the methods of data capture, management and exchange.
Capturing data
- Capturing data is a careful consideration that should be made and selecting what will suit your purpose best.
- This could be a data collection form that the user fills out and then is entered by a data operator.
- Alternatively, the data operator could enter the data with the user present.
Selecting data
- It is important to select what data needs to be stored.
- This is determined by how important or useful the context of the data would be.
- A CCTV video recording of people who are NOT committing crimes is not suitable to store.
Database management
- The management of the database is handled by the database management system.
- There are lots of different database management systems (DBMS), including:
- MySQL.
- Oracle.
- Bigtable.
Exchanging data
- The data in a database can be exchanged in different ways.
- Traditionally this data is exchanged as a comma separated value file (.csv).
- Other formats used are XML and JSON.
- These formats contain markup that make the data easier to read and manipulate.
Exchanging data cont.
- Schools, colleges and universities make use of EDI (Electronic Data interchange).
- Each organisation's system can be configured to read and write to each another's database.
Referential integrity
- Referential integrity is a key principle for relational databases.
- Referential integrity helps to ensure no data redundancy and inaccuracies between linked tables.
- Referential integrity prevents a record containing a foreign key from using a value that doesn’t exist in the linked table where it is a primary key.
Test yourself on Managing Databases
Why are XML and JSON formats easier to read?