QBE

• A query is a question represented in a way

that the database management system can
recognize and process.
• Query-by-Example offers a very visual
way to construct queries.
 Simple and Compound Criteria

• Criteria are restrictions that the records to

be retrieved must satisfy.
• Compound criteria combines multiple
criteria by using the commonly used
operators AND and OR.
 QBE
• Simple retrieval
• AND / OR conditions
• Two conditions in a single field
• Computed fields
• Calculating statistics e.g count, average
• Grouping
• Joins with or without restrictions
 Advanced QBE
• Pattern match - LIKE
• List of Values Match – IN
• Non-Matching Value- NOT IN
• Parameter query
• Crosstabs query
• Action queries (Update, Insert, & Delete)
 Assignment 3
• MS Access 2000
• Page AC 3.38
• #1-12
 The Relational Algebra
• Relational algebra is a theoretical way of
manipulating a relational database.
• Retrieving data from a relational database
involves issuing relational algebra
commands to obtain results.
 Relational Operators
• Projection
• Selection (restriction)
• Union
• Difference
• Product (Cartesian)
• Join
• Intersection
• Division (hard to do in SQL)
 Normal Set Operations
• The union of two tables is a table containing
all rows that are either the first table, the
second table, or both.
• The intersection of two tables is a table
containing all rows that are common to
both.
• The difference of tables A & B is the set of
all rows that are in A, but not in B.
 Restrict Project

Union Intersection Difference

 Cartesian Product
• The PRODUCT of two tables is a table
obtained by concatenating every row in the
first with every row in the second
Product of Two Tables
 JOINS
• Cross join
– Cartesian Product
• Simple or natural join or inner join
– No dangling tuples
• Outer join (full, left or right)
– Includes dangling tuples by padding out with
NULLs
 Codd’s Relational System
• Users perceive database as collection of
tables only
• The RESTRICT, PROJECT and JOIN
relations are supported
 Classification Scheme
• Tabular structure
– does not support RESTRICT, PROJECT & JOIN
• Minimally relational
– does not support all relational algebra operations
• Relationally complete
– supports a full implementation of SQL
• Fully relational
– supports integrity rules as well
 SQL
• Creates the components of a database
• Manipulates components into various
views
– DDL (to define and create database
components)
– DML (to manipulate database components)
– DCL (to provide internal security for the
database)
 Why use SQL?
• More powerful than QBE (performs unions
and sub-queries)
• Cannot use the DDL component of SQL in
QBE
• Can be used from within other applications
(Excel, Word, Visual Basic)
• Industry standard language (useful outside
Access)
 SQL
• DDL • DML
– CREATE – Required keywords
– ALTER – SELECT, FROM
– DROP – Optional clauses
– WHERE, ORDER BY
– GROUP BY, HAVING
 General form of SELECT
• SELECT [DISTINCT] field(s)
• FROM table(s)
• [WHERE condition]
• [GROUP BY field(s) [HAVING condition]]
• [ORDER BY field(s)];
 Searching with WHERE
• Range search
– BETWEEN / NOT BETWEEN
• Set membership search
– IN / NOT IN
• Pattern search
– LIKE / NOT LIKE
• Null search
– IS NULL / IS NOT NULL
 Aggregate Functions
• COUNT
• SUM
• AVG
• MAX
• MIN
 SubQueries / Nested Queries
• A subselect statement is used following a
relational operator in the WHERE or
HAVING clauses of the outer SELECT
statement
 Form/Report Controls
• Bound
– data source is a field in the underlying table
• Unbound
– to display titles, labels and graphics
• Calculated
– data source is an expression, created from one
or more fields
 Custom Forms/Reports
• Use design view
• Add header/footer (for form)
• Sort/Group Data in a Report
• Add Report header/footer (for group totals)
 Toolbox
• List boxes
• Combo boxes
• Check boxes
• Command buttons
 Assignment 4
• MS Access 2000
• Page AC 5.55-5.56
• #1-12 (Use SQL for 3-6)