Information Technology

Database Management System

using Microsoft Access

Prepared by Nicola Reynolds 11/18/2022 1

 What is a database?
A database is a collection of related data,
organized into tables. A DBMS allows you to:
 Create and manage tables
 Perform queries on data
 Enforce the integrity of the data
 View reports on the data and create new
ones

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What is the purpose of a database?
Tables: A set of related information
Row (record): A set of fields which
makes up a record
Column (field): A specific piece of
information that allows you to enter
data in columns.

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 Keys within a database

Primary Key
Secondary Key
Candidate Key
Foreign Key

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 Primary Key & Secondary keys
A primary key, is a key in a relational database that is unique for
each record. It is a unique identifier, such as a driver license
number, telephone number (including a code), or vehicle
identification number (VIN). A relational database must always
have one and only one primary key.

A secondary key is made on a field that

you would like to be indexed for faster
searches. A table can have more than
one secondary key. The main purpose
of a database is to store and search for
data.
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 Candidate Key
A candidate key is a combination of attributes that can be uniquely
used to identify a database record without referring to any other
data. Each table may have one or more candidate. One of
these candidate keys is selected as the table primary key.

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 Foreign Key
In the context of relational databases, a foreign key is
a field (or collection of fields) in one table that
uniquely identifies a row of another table or the same
table. In simpler words, the foreign key is defined in a
second table, but it refers to the primary key or a
unique key in the first table.

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Data Types: A data type allows you to enter data with a specific type: Some data types in access are:
1. Number
2. Yes/No
3. Date/Time
4. Text
5. Currency

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