Introduction to Database Technology

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Jerry Smallwood
• Assessment: two portfolios (40% and 60%)

In this module you will learn the basic principles of database design and have the opportunity to apply them to a small business case study. We also introduce you to basic relational database design and development so that you can apply relational database technology in the workplace.

Indicative syllabus

• Relational databases: uses; advantages/disadvantages; comparison with flat-file databases
• Relational database management systems: MySQL and benefits of open source software
• Basic database concepts: entities and attributes; tables and relationships; primary and foreign keys; data types
• The use of the SQL query language for data definition and data manipulation, providing practical grounding for further study of information systems
• Database design: use of entity-relationship diagrams to model user requirements; database documentation
• Data manipulation: enter, update and delete data; define criteria to retrieve specified data; use JOIN to retrieve data from multiple tables

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• give examples of common uses for databases
• explain the benefits of using relational databases
• describe the components of a relational database
• select appropriate representations for data
• produce an entity-relationship diagram for a given scenario
• implement a database model to meet specified requirements
• use SQL to create a database and manipulate stored data
• design queries to retrieve specified information from both single and multiple tables.