CIS125 - Chapter 2

Question: Specify two database tables that you might design that would contain a one-to-many relationship. Describe the relationship.

Answer: A bank customer is entered into a Customers table one time. The same customer could set up multiple accounts that would be recorded in the Accounts table (i.e, checking, savings, and credit card). The CustomerID would display one time in the Customers table and three times in the Accounts table. Therefore, the relationship between Customers and Accounts would be described as one-to-many.

Question: Describe a scenario that may require you to import Excel data into Access.

Answer: A business has data stored in a spreadsheet but wants to more efficiently manage its information, for example, by creating queries. Imported data can also be used in connection with other tables in an existing database.

Question: What is the purpose of setting a relationship between two tables?

Answer: A relationship between two tables would allow the data to be efficiently combined for the purpose of creating queries, forms, and reports, and to avoid data redundancy.

Question: Define a single-table query. Give an example.

Answer: A single-table query enables you to ask questions about the data stored in a single database table. An example of a query would be to display the accounts with a balance of $5,000 or greater.

Question: Why would you decide to use the Cascade Delete option (or not) when setting a relationship?

Answer: If you delete a record in a primary table, such as a customer, you may (or may not) want to delete his or her orders from the related table. This is a business-driven decision that you would need to make when designing the database.

Question: Give an example of how to use the Criteria row to find certain records in a table.

Answer: The Criteria row determines which records will be selected for query results. For example: customers having accounts in the "Campus" branch of a bank.

Question: Which field property creates a more readable label that displays in the top row in Datasheet view and in forms and reports?

Answer: The caption property creates a more readable label.

Question: What is the difference between a primary key and a foreign key?

Answer: The primary key is the field or combination of fields that uniquely identifies each record in a table. A foreign key is a field in a related table that is also a primary key in a primary table.

Question: What is meant by "Store data in its smallest parts" when designing database fields?

Answer: When planning for a database, the designer needs to try to anticipate the future needs of the system and then build in the flexibility to satisfy those demands. Storing values such as last name and first name individually allows for more flexibility in sorting and filtering records.