2 Data Organization and Data Control

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

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 as telephone number.

- 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.
- 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
The number of
7 bits of data to the end of each piece of data
‘1’s
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

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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 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.

Activity 2
Field name Field length Field type
english_name 20 text
chinese_name 20 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

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(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
(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

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2. F
3. F
4. F
5. F

Multiple Choice Questions

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

Short Questions
1. (a) Data source error, transcription error and transposition error (each one × 1)
(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 (or integer) (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 one × 1)

3. (a)
Name Sex Mark
Lancy Ng F 72
Lulu Lo F 82
Billy Chau M 60
Peter Wu M 93
Robert Wong M 46
(1 for the correct ‘Sex’ field, 1 for the correct ‘Mark’ field)
(b) Fixed value check (1)

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 (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 010 0 (1)
(ii) 0011 0011 100 1 (1)

Long Questions
1. (a) A key field is a fi eld that can be used to uniquely identify a record from the
other records. (1) The data in a key fi eld 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 ×
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 verifi cation such as input data twice of renewal
password.
• Simplify data entry with features e.g. pull down menu and check
box.
(any three × 1)
(c) Avoid data loss due to system failure or machine failure. (1)
(d) Advantage: lower running cost / larger storage capacity (any one × 1)
Disadvantage: slower / less reliable (any one × 1)
(e) (i) • Use compression program to compress data files before storing into
the magnetic tape.
• Back up only recently updated fi les into the tape.
(any one × 1)

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(ii) Use another hard disk to clone the data in the source computer. (1)