2 Data Organization and Data Control

Let’s Think
- Similarity: Data records are stored in the smart card and the Hong Kong ID card.
- Difference: e-Channel system requires users’ fingerprints for identification while school smart card
system does not.

Teaching info – 2.1

- Data errors can also be found even though data is received by a computer successfully because
transmission errors may occur when data is transmitted from one location to another.
- Check digit, like parity check, is commonly used to detect errors that might occur during the
transmission of data.

Additional Questions – 2.1

- The GIGO principle implies that the quality of information is dependent on the quality of the data it is
derived from. State several basic requirements for data in order to obtain valid information.
Data should be accurate, up-to-date and complete.

Teaching info – 2.2.1

- Two other types of validity checks:
Validity check Function
Control total Use the sum of a
(batch total) particular numerical field
for all records as a
control to ensure that all
data has been entered
into the computer.
Hash total This is just a batch total
done on the fields
involved that are not
normally used in
calculations, such as
telephone number.
Example
If we check the student number using batch total,
we need to sum up all student numbers manually
before inputting them into the computer. After the
entry process, the pre-calculated total is checked
with the sum calculated by the computer. We need
to check the errors if the two totals do not match.
Telephone numbers are added by the computer, and
then compared with a manually calculated total.

- More information about parity check:

- Parity check is often used for the transmission of ASCII characters.
As each ASCII character has 7 bits, it is convenient to use the 8th bit as a parity bit.
- Parity check is good for detecting any odd number of errors in the received data.
However, it is unable to find the errors if there are an even number of errors.

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 - Parity bit is for error detecting but not for error correcting as there is no way to determine which
particular bit is corrupted.
The whole piece of data must be re-transmitted.
One example of error-detecting code is Hamming code. ( wikipedia)

Additional Question – 2.2.1

- Fill in the missing items A to H
8 bits of data including a parity bit attached to
7 bits of data The number of ‘1’s the end of each piece of data
Even Odd
0000000 0 A B
1010000 C 10100000 10100001
D E 11010111 11010110
F 7 G H

Additional Question – 2.2.2

- Suggest some alternative methods of data verification and describe the situations in which the methods can
be used.
Examples of simpler methods:
- Visual check – Proofread the screen entries against the source document.
- Visual check – Send printouts of the inputted data (e.g. order form) to the data source (e.g. a
customer) for confirmation.
- If the data is inputted through telephone, the details will be read back for checking.

Activity 1
2. The web site does not allow to access the next page and requires the user to fill up all required blanks in
the registration form.
3. Input stage
4. (a) Data validation and data verification
(b) Input data twice is used to avoid users introducing errors when inputting the password.
5. It uses fixed value check (choice control) to ensure that the data conforms to one of the predefined values
(male) or female)
6. (a) It is used to prevent automated registration.
(b) It can prevent somebody from getting a lot of e-mail accounts by using a computer program.

Additional Question – 2.3

- Is it necessary to define the field order when creating a properly structured database file?
No, it is not necessary to define the field order.
But we need to define field names, field types, a key field, etc.

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Activity 2
Field name Field length Field type
english_name 30 text
chinese_name 12 text
age 3 numeric
login_id 12 text
password 12 text
- the field type of the fields ‘login_id’ and ‘password’ should be text so that they can have more
combinations.
- The field length of the field ‘password’ should be longer so that the password can be more secure.
- Field length of the field ‘english_name’ may be too short.
- Field length of the field ‘chinese_name’ may be too long. (e.g. 司徒歐陽慧玲)

Additional Questions – 2.4.1

(a) State two typical applications of databases for personal use.
Personal phone book, video or CD catalogue
(b) State two typical applications of databases in a school.
Club membership, student records
(c) List six types of database objects used in Microsoft Access.
Table, form, report, query, macro and module

Additional Questions – 2.4.2

(a) State one advantage of using data entry form over Datasheet View to input data.
A form is a graphical user interface used to manipulate and display the data. A well-designed form has the
fields displayed in a clearer and more attractive format on the screen.
(b) State the tool provided by Microsoft Access that helps you produce professional reports easily.
Report Wizard
(c) Can reports display data from queries?
Yes. Reports can display data from tables or queries.

Additional Questions – 2.5

(a) Can magnetic tapes be used for storing data for an online booking system? Why?
No. The seek time is long and unpredictable when records are retrieved randomly. The magnetic tape is
not a common media for storing frequently.
(b) State two common storage media that can be used for backing up and recovering of database and data files
in computer servers.
Hard disk and magnetic tape

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(c) Paul finds that the speed of accessing data on a hard disk drive has become very slow. Suppose that the
computer is not infected with virus. State one reason for the problem.
The disk has become fragmented.

Concept Map
1. F
2. E
3. A
4. H
5. G
6. D
7. C
8. B

Concept Checker
1. F (Validation)
2. F (Double data entry)
3. F (Four different levels)
4. F (For hiding unmatched records, but not for sorting orders.)
5. F (one or more tables)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. C
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. C
6. B
7. D
8. C

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Short Questions
1. (a) Data source error, transcription error and transposition error (1 x 3)
(b) (i) Transposition error (1), transcription error (1)
(ii) Transposition error: 51  15 (1), transcription error: i  I (1)

2. (a) 4 (1)
(b) (i) Number / integer (any 1 x 1)
(ii) 100,000 – ranging from 0 to 99,999 (2)
(c) The field length of ‘Name’ is too short /
The field ‘Name’ cannot record both Chinese names and English names. (any 1 x 1)
3. (a) (1 for the correct ‘Sex’ field, 1 for the correct ‘Mark’ field)
Name Sex Mark
Lancy Ng F 72
Lulu Lo F 82
Billy Chau M 60
Peter Wu M 93
Robert Wong M 46
(b) Fixed value check (1)
(c) No, (1) because any one field or any combination of the fields cannot guarantee unique field value for
the identification of the record. (1)
4. (a) Parity check is used for validation of binary digital data. (1)
An additional parity bit is attached to the end of each word of data.
There are two types of parity check: odd parity check and even parity check. (1)
(b) (i) 1100 0100 (1)
(ii) 0011 0011 1001 (1)

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Long Questions
1. (a) A key field is a field that can be used to uniquely identify a record from the other records. (1) The
data in a key field is unique to a specific record. (1)
(b) It is because it involves sensitive personal information. (1)
It is not appropriate to disclose publicly. (1)
(c) ‘Customer_ID’ (1) Because it can uniquely identify the customers. (1)
Also, it does not involve the personal information of the customers and hence it can be disclosed
publicly. (1)
(d) The table is sorted by the field ‘Sex’ (1) in descending order (1) and then by the field ‘Name’ (1) in
ascending order. (1)
2. (a) Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual FoxPro and FileMaker Pro (each one x 1)
(b) (i) Data entry form (1)
(ii) - Provide a user-friendly environment for data entry.
- Perform data validation such as range check and type check of test marks.
- Perform data verification such as input data twice of renewal password.
- Perform data entry with features e.g. pull down menu and check box.
(any 3 x 1)
(c) Avoid data loss due to system failure or machine failure. (1)
(d) Advantage: lower running cost / larger storage capacity (any one x 1)
Disadvantage: slower / less reliable (any one x 1)
(e) (i) - Use compression program to compress data files before storing into the magnetic tape.
- Back up only recently updated files into the tape. (any one x 1)
(ii) Use another hard disk to clone the data in the source computer. (1)