Design
Table Design
The structure of the table includes the name and number of fields, the properties and data types of each field, the Primary key and validation if needed. The name of the table will be Membership Information and the fields included in this table will be:
-
Title – Validation (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Miss, Master) , Text
-
Forename - Text
-
Surname - Text
-
Membership Number (Auto Number) - Number
-
Date of Birth - Validation Checks - Number
-
Postcode – Validation (e.g. mix of 6 numerals or letters) , Text
-
Membership Type - Text
-
Email - Text
-
Doctor Number – Validation (e.g. 11 numerals) , Number
-
Medical Problems (e.g. asthma) , Text
-
Date Member Joined – Validation (e.g. should fill in the following with only numerals _ _/_ _/_ _) , Number
-
Expiry Date – Validation (e.g. should fill in the following with only numerals _ _/_ _/_ _) , Number
-
Member on Site - Text
Query Design
Queries are used to look for the data within your database. They are also used to select data to be displayed in a “Form” or “Report”. At times the results from a query are exported for mail-merge purposes. Query design should make it understandable to what data fields are to be used and what search criteria is to be applied. By accurately completing the table the reader should be able to state the query name and the purpose of the query. For example, if in the criteria box, for surname, I type “Smith”, the database will search for all of the people with the surname “Smith”. They will be displayed on a separate table to others with different surnames. However in the “Get Active” sports centre database, a query can be made to search for “date member joined” or “expiry date”. This can help transfer the details of those who need to update their expiring membership, by sending letters (mail merge).
The field names required:
- Title
- Forename
- Surname
- Membership Number
- Date of Birth
- Membership Type
- Email
The search Criteria for these could be:
-
Gender Search (e.g. “Female” or “Male”)
-
Surnames (e.g. “Smith”, “Baker”, etc.)
-
Date of Birth (e.g. “people born in the year 91”)
-
Membership type (“premium”, “standard”, etc.)
-
Emails (“@hotmail.com”, “@yahoo.co.uk”, etc.)
The data sorting can either be:
- Ascending (e.g. A, B, C, D, E, etc.)
- Descending (e.g. Z, Y, X, W, V, etc.)
Report Design
Reports are used to create printed results from a database. It is significant to show how the report is to be laid out; header information, main body, footer etc., and the query or data table it is based on. In this case, if a report was created to display those who memberships expire soon, the report will probably be laid out like this:
The table has been sorted by ascending order (Surname) and shows the emails of these people.
Form Design
Forms are used to observe the data in a database. They can also be used to find one way from one section to another. When designing forms it is essential to show the actual layout of the form; design, style, fonts, buttons etc, and the real data fields or queries that are used. A database form can be used to ease database data entry and retrieval operations. A database developer usually designs a form which can then be used by individual without any specific database skills to perform repetitive tasks.
If you click on the drop down arrow suggested words are shown e.g. “title” – miss, Mrs, Mr, etc.
Extended Report
I have chosen fields, data types and primary keys in my table design because it will help the actual computer and human user understand the commands. We use fields to make up a whole piece of information on the member. For example, one field may be for their name another may be their postcode. This makes up background details and important information on the member. I have chosen to use data types as it will validate information that has been inputted. In this case, for contact number the data type is text as numbers include “0”. “0” is not known as a number in the world of databases. Finally, primary key is used in the table design to uniquely identify each record in the table. So for this situation, the member number will be a primary key in the table as it gives every member a unique number to be identified by. We use queries in our database to retrieve specific information from the database.
It is important to calculate the data storage requirements of new databases because it is important to understand the requirements of the individual/customer. The quantity and the information that needs to be stored (in the database) are needed. When a company desires a database they need to provide the business needs for the database developers and also the system requirements. The organisation that is creating the database needs to know what kind of data/information is going to be stored in the database and this can only be found when you find the data storage requirements from the company that is requesting the for a database to be made.
There are many benefits of using reports in a database. One may be that time is saved as you don’t have to write one out (if you make a mistake when hand writing, on paper, you will have to start again). Also money is saved as well as being able to create quick result from the database. In addition, it can be easily printed or emailed to one another. It also allows the user to summarise the data as a whole (from all the data in the database). You can generate the reports in various formats (change the look/ style, etc.); this will enhance the understanding of the actual report. Furthermore, it can easily be backed up. In total it is a summary of the information in the report, which can be changed and relevant to your needs (the information needed – not everything, for example title, name, and contact details, however not membership type)
When a teenager turns 18, a member of staff from the sports centre needs to change their membership type. This is verification. The day of their 18th birthday a verification box will show on the screen. It will warn the sports centre staff that they are changing to an adult, so they become a different membership type.
What is a database design?
It’s the method of producing an in depth data model of a database.
We can think database designs are like flowcharts. Consequently we can it helps us to reach the data simply and understand the database. It’s the process of producing a detailed data model of a database.
