What is a database?

1. What is a database?

2. Two main uses: • Storing information • Sorting information

3. What kind of information could we store in a database? • Patient information • Telephone numbers • Car registration plate owners • Business clients • Name and phone numbers of friends • Parent’s contact information for children in a school

4. Key words Each person’s information is separate and that is called a record e.g. Name – Jo Bloggs Address – 33 Wood Lane, Haworth Phone number – 0474792927484

5. What kind of things could we do with these records? • A search – this is called a query • Example 1 – a child is ill at school – we need to find out if they have any medical conditions quickly • Example 2 – we need to find who owns a car that has been caught speeding on the motorway

6. How do you create a database? • First you need to decide which fields you want to use • Name is a field • Colour could also be field • Then habitat could be our last field • You could also have picture as a field

7. Then what? • In softease database we can use the wizard to create a database • We want to create a new database • Not based on another one • Then we can select our fields

8. Now we can add the information • This is the symbol for a new record

9. Once all the records have been added we can start a query • Click the button with a ? • Choose which field to search • And what you want to search for

10. Finally • You can switch been two views: • Form and Report • What is the difference between them?