You will be called upon to demonstrate specific relational database skills.

Task ⑤ ⇒ relational databases

relational database task logo

The task will be released as five parts,
one a day,
as we practice Access components.

  1. the specs for tables
  2. the relationships specs
  3. the forms specs
  4. and the reports specs
  5. the first set of queries
  6. finally, the second set of queries

Everything in this task is something we will have demonstrated and/or tried in class.

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Condition

You are to create a book database for a private client, not too unlike Mr. Pitt on Seinfeld. The client has his own library and needs you to organize his holdings and be able to order new books for his library when he wants them.

This will require you to create a relational database that will include:

  1. a number of related tables to capture the data about the books and the orders
  2. a set of queries to pull data from the tables in response to questions about the book holdings
  3. some forms to use for adding data to the database
  4. some reports to use for presenting the client with a paper copy of results in response to his questions

Working in groups for tasks

You may work on task 03, 04, and 05 in groups. You may, if you choose to, also do task 06 as a group project. These are some rules of thumb to follow for group work in INLS161.

Note who your work group members are and be sure you know them by face and by email address. As you work together, I would like you to follow this process for your work:

  • every member of the group should do all the components of the task. Do not parcel out portions of the task to individuals
  • once you have all done as much as you can on the task, share your work - either as email attachments, as Google Docs, as Dropbox items, or in person
  • look over what your peers have done in comparison to what you have done and, if needed, modify your version accordingly
  • once all of you have compared your versions, determine among yourselves which version is the one you want to turn in to be graded
  • one individual will store the version to be graded in their Sakai dropbox and that individual will put a hyperlink to that file on their task 05 web page
  • that individual who stores the task that is to be graded will send the full path to that file to the other group members so they will have an absolute link to the stored file that they may use on their individual task web pages.
working in teams

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Standard

Though there are several different commercial relational database software applications, we will use Microsoft Access for this purpose because it will provide an appreciation for relational databases. Additionally, other database classes in SILS assume a working knowledge of Access as a baseline skill.

We will build this database step by step in class. The exercises you will have after each class will be part of the task.

You would be wise to do each exercise as it is presented so you won't be bogged down trying to finish the database. It can be a huge time sink if you don't watch out.

You have a gradesheet to provide guidance. Everything on that gradesheet will be analogous to something we will have done in class.

Save the finished product using the standard file name structure for this class

An example of a standard file name might be johnson.pat.20190417.task05.database.accdb

Add a hyperlink to your task 05 page to the completed task file which will be stored in your Sakai dropbox location for INLS161..

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Value Added | daily
Basics | sessions 01-03
Web Development | sessions 04-08
Document Markup | sessions 09-10
Working with data | sessions 11-14
Relational Database | sessions 20-26
Presentation | sessions 15-16