APPLICATION NOTES

Spreadsheet package – It is an application program used to store and analyse information,

perform calculations and to make graphs and charts used to impress people and it is made
up of rows and columns.

Spreadsheet package – It is an electronic application program that is used for doing

calculations on data and it is similar to a squared paper, that is, it consists of rows and
columns.

Spreadsheet package – It is an application program made up of rows and columns for

working with numbers, producing accounts and tabulated numerical information of all
types.

Spreadsheet package- It is application software used by people who work with numbers,
that is accountants, banks and building society employees, engineers, financial planners.
The user enters the data and formulae to be used in manipulating the data and the
program calculates the results and it is made up of rows and columns.

Examples of spreadsheet packages or programs.

- Microsoft office excel.

- Lotus 1.2.3
- Quattro pro
- SuperCalc
- Symphony.
- Open office Calc.

Features of a spread sheet package.

- What if calculations
- Formular bar
- Name box
- Rows and columns headers which are numbered and lettered respectively
- Worksheets.
- Formulars
- Save as
- Graphs and charts.
- Merge and centre
- Wrap text

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- Sort and filter
- Clipboard
- Cut and paste.
- Zoom tool
- Scroll bar
- number formatting.
- Title bar
- Ribbon
- Status bar

Advantages of spreadsheet package.

- Data can be easily edited.

- Calculations are carried out quickly.
- Charts and graphs can be created easily that can be used to impress people.
- It may have a database management feature to help in searching large volumes of
data for important information.
- Changes are recalculated automatically when data in the cells are changed.
- It supports mathematical functions such as sum, average which make calculations
easier.
- It can be used to create documents just like word processor.
- It is safer to run a simulation under extreme conditions than to build the actual
model and test it.

Disadvantages of spreadsheet package.

- It requires mathematically minded people to get used to it.

- It requires electricity for its operation.
- The simulation of a model may not be an accurate representation of the real world.
- Producing effective an effective model may be time consuming and running the
model may need expensive hardware and software.

Typical applications of spreadsheet are:

- Displaying, calculating and managing accounts and other financial information.

- Performing calculations on data collected in experiments and surveys.

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- Producing data from which graphs can be drawn, for example, to calculate average
temperature for a graph of weather data
- Solve mathematical equations.
- It is used by people who work with numbers,that is accountants, bank tellers in
banks, building society employees, engineers and financial planners.
- Are used in business as models to predict what might happen in the real world.

Uses of spreadsheet

- For performing what if calculations/analysis. For example what if we produce 30%

more widgets and wages increases by 10%, how much we have to charge in order to
show profit.
- It is used in planning and budgeting
- Add and edit data in cells
- Insert text
- Edit or delete text.
- Creation of charts and graphs that can be used to impress people.
- Perform calculations on the data
- Organise data into rows and columns
- Teachers use a spreadsheet to keep a set of student marks given for tests and
exams.
- Sales people uses spreadsheet to keep track of the items they sell, the value of the
items, the profit made on each item and commission they have earned.
- Supermarkets use spreadsheets to keep track of finances that are sales, losses and
money.

Definitions of spreadsheet terms.

Cell- is a rectangular box in which we enter data and formula. It is identified by its

address which is formed by the intersecting column letter and row number.

Cell- It is the intersection of a column and a row. Each cell has a unique name called
address given by a column letter and a row number. For example D4

 Each cell may contain one of the following items:

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1. Label- It is a text entry into a worksheet. It usually begins with a letter and is left
justified or aligned. For example Unit price.
2. Numbers/Values- Are numbers to be used for calculations. Usually start with an
arithmetic sign or a numerical digit and is right justified or aligned.
3. Date/Time- Date is usually formatted as MM/DD/YYY or DD/MM/YYY
4. Formula- It is a mathematical expression used to perform calculations. It usually
starts with the equal sign. For example = (B4*C4)/5
Formula- It is an equation that performs a calculation

Range of cells- It is a group of adjacent cells in a worksheet.

Range of cells- It is a group of cells referred to as a unit and it is referred to using a colon.

Active cell- It has a dark border around it and the row and column headers are coloured.
This is the cell that receives your commands and each cell contains a unique address such
as A1 to define its location on the worksheet.

Worksheet- is a single sheet of data made up of rows and columns. It is also called just a
sheet or spreadsheet.

Worksheet- It is a single sheet of paper with a grid of rows and columns used for
calculations.

- On a worksheet, data is organized vertically in columns and horizontally in rows.

- Each column is identified by a letter (A, B, C…) and each row is identified by a
number (1, 2, 3).

They are two types of worksheets:

1. Manual worksheet- It is a sheet of paper with a grid of rows and columns

Disadvantages of manual work sheets

 Calculations are time consuming.

 Changes in the data would make earlier calculations useless, thus calculations have
to be done all over again.
2. Electronic worksheet- it is a program used for doing calculations on data and it is
similar to a squared paper, that it is consists of rows and columns. Examples of
spreadsheet programs are Ms excel, Lotus1-2-3, Quattro Pro, open office Calc.

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Workbook- It is a combination of at least two (2) worksheets and it is similar to pages in a
counter book. By default a workbook contains three worksheets, namely Sheet1, Sheet2
and Sheet3

-It is the basic document for excel and its file name uses the extension xls.

Name box- It is a textbox on the left of the formula bar which displays the name of the cell
or address of the cell

Formular bar- It is a text box just above the column headers which shows the contents of
the active cell. The contents of the cell can also be edited in the formula bar

Formular bar- It is a text box just above the column headers which displays formular and
data that gives the result of the active cell and contents of active cell respectively.

Cell pointer - cursor that takes the shape of a plus when over the worksheet
Column header- Names of columns which are letters of the alphabet

Row header- Names of rows which are which are labelled with numbers (1, 2, 3…)

Rows- Go across the page and are labelled with numbers.

Columns- Go down the page and labelled at the top with letters (A, B, C…)

Title bar- It is usually blue in colour and located at the very top of the screen. This bar
displays the title of the document you are working on and the name of the program being
used. For example microsoft excel Book1.

Status bar – appears at the very bottom of the excel window and provides such
information as the sum, average, minimum and maximum value of selected numbers.

Menu bar- Appears below the title bar and contains tabs such as Home, insert, page layout,
formulas, data, review, view and Acrobat.

Formula bar- Displays information entered or being entered as you type in the current or
active cell. The contents of the cell can also be edited in the formula bar

Steps to start MS Excel.

1. Click on start
2. Click on all programs
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3. Click on Microsoft Office
4. Click on Microsoft Excel.

Some commonly used formulas.

Formula Purpose of the Formula

= A1 + A2 + A3 + Adds the contents of cells A1,A2,A3 and A4
A4
=(A1 + A2 )/2 Calculates average of the contents of cells A1 and A2
=A1 *A2 Multiplies the contents of cell A1 and A2
=A1/A2 Divides the content of cell A1 by A2
=(A1 * A2)/4 Multiplies the contents of cells A1 and A2, and divides the
result by 4

Formulas.

Methods of copying formulas.

1. By copying and pasting using the mouse

 Select the cell you want the formula to be copied and click on copy
 Select the destination cell or cells to copy the formula to
 You click paste and the formula is copied.
2. By drag and drop using Auto fill approach
 You click the cell you want the formula to be copied.
 You then point on the bottom right corner of that cell until the mouse pointer
changes shape to a black cross.
 You then drag up to the required destination.
 This copies the formula.
3. By copying using the keyboard shortcut keys.
 Press CTRL + C from the keyboard.
 Select the destination cell or cells to copy the formula to
 You then Press CTRL + V on the keyboard to paste.

A function- It is an expression that takes some cells or values (called parameters) as input
and produces some value as output. These functions are called in – built functions.

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A function – It is a tool which performs a special operation such as summation

Example of some functions:

1. SUM- The result of adding the numbers in the given cells

2. AVERAGE- The average of the numbers in the cells given
3. COUNT- The number of cells in the range given
4. MAXIMUM- The largest value in the cell given
5. MINIMUM-The smallest value in the cell given
6. POWER- Returns the result of a number raised to a power.

Excel Formulas and Functions

• Formulas are mathematical expressions that we create in Excel.

 A formula is an equation that performs a calculation.

All Formulas begin with the = symbol.

All Formulas use the following mathematical operators (+, /, *, _).

• Functions are mathematical expressions that are already available in Excel.

Example of functions: SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, etc.

Common Errors in Microsoft Excel

(a) #NAME? : This error means a Function used is not being recognized

by Excel.

(b) ####: A number in a cell is too wide for the cell to display it. or

The formula in the cell produces a result that is too wide for the

Cell. Or There is a negative number in the cell that has been

formatted for dates or times.

To overcome this we can increase the column width.

(c) #REF!: This means a non-valid reference in your formula.

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Often occurs as the result of deleting rows, columns, cells or

Worksheets.

(d) #DIV/0! : It means you cannot divide zero into a number.

Copy the formula from one cell to other cells.

• Highlight the cell to copy the formula in it and then paste it to desired cells.

Function. Is a built in formula and spreadsheet has a number of built in formulas to do

many calculations.

A Function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a

particular order. For example summation.

Advantage of functions.

-They save you time since you do not have to write the formula.

-Excel has hundreds of different functions to assist with your calculations

A formula is a mathematical expression for making a calculation.

Syntax to create a formula.

1. Insert an equal sign (=) to tell excel that you are about to enter a formula.
2. Function name(SUM for example is the function name for addition)
3. Insert arguments in parenthesis.

NB Arguments contain the information you want the formula to calculate, such as a range
of cell references:

Syntax

=SUM (D2:D6)

Function name First cell address Last cell address

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 Colons create a reference to a range of cells
 For example, = AVERAGE (E19:E23) would calculate the average of the cell range
E19 through E23.
 Commas separate individual values, cell references and cell ranges in the
parenthesis.
 If there is more than one argument, you must separate each argument by a comma.

For example, = COUNT (C6:C14), C19:C23), C28) will count all the cells in the three
arguments that are included in the parenthesis.

-Excel uses standard operators for equations, such as a plus sign for addition (+), a minus
sign for subtraction (-), an asterisk for multiplication (*), a forward slash for division (/).

NB. All formulas must begin with an equal sign (=).

Addition + =5 + 5
Subtraction - = 5-5
Multiplication * =5*5
Division / =5/5

Some examples of functions

∑ Display the sum of the selected cells directly after the

selected cells.
SUM = SUM (20,30) will give 50
= SUM (A2 : A5) will add the contents of A2, A3, A4, and A5
AVERAGE = AVERAGE (B3:B5) will return the average of its arguments
MAX =MAX (B3 : B5) will show the highest in B3 to B5
MIN =MIN (B3 : B5) Will show the lowest in B3 to B5
COUNT =COUNT (B2, B5) will count the number of cells in range
that contain numbers, for example, 4
NOW = NOW () will return the current date and time formatted as
a date and time.
Rate = Rate (…) returns the interest rate per period of a loan. For
example, use 6%/4 for quarterly payments at 6% APR.

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Points to remember
What – if analysis.

- Spreadsheet programs are used for decision making based on the calculated results.
- Spreadsheet contains tools for performing complex mathematical calculations, such
as what if – analysis. This feature helps to experiment and answer questions with
your data, even when the data is incomplete.

What if analysis

- It is the process of changing the values in cells to see how these changes will affect
the outcome of formulas on the worksheet.
- This allows a company to predict future trends in its income and outgoings.

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Defining terms

Term Definitions
Function A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations by using
specific values in a particular order. The values used in the function
are
For example, the AVERAGE function calculates the Average of its
arguments.
Arguments The values used in the function are called arguments and enclosed in
parenthesis. For example = Sum (D2:D5).
Arguments
Function The syntax of a function begins with the function name, followed by
syntax an opening parenthesis, the arguments for the function separated by
commas or Colon, and a closing parenthesis. If the function starts a
formula, an equal sign (=) should be placed before the function name.
Example: = SUM (D2:F8) .In the above example, the function name is
"SUM" and the argument for the function is the range "D2:F8".
Active Cell A cell that is selected.
Workbook In Excel, a workbook is the file in which you work and store your data.
Because each workbook can contain many sheets, you can organize
various kinds of related information in a single file. By default, all new
workbooks contain three worksheets.

Worksheet Worksheets consist of cells that are organized into alphabetical

(Spreadsheet) labeled columns and numerically labeled rows and are always located
within workbooks. They are used to list, organize, and calculate data.
Information can be linked from one worksheet to another in the same
workbook or in different workbooks.
Selection cross Used to select a cell or a range of cells.
I-Beam Used to insert text into a cell or field. Click once when the cursor is this
shape to begin inserting text.
Mouse Pointer Used to interact with toolbars, move and resize
windows and move or copy information from cells.
AutoFill cross Used to drag values across cells when using AutoFill

Cell Cells form where rows and columns intersect. To refer to a cell, enter
the column letter followed by the row number. For example, C15
refers to the cell at the intersection of column C and row 15.

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Using the mouse

To select How to select

Cell Click on the cell
Cell range Use the selection cross to click and
drag across the group of cells.
Row Click on the row number
Column Click on the column letter.
Multiple Rows Click and drag down the row numbers.
Multiple Columns Click and drag across the column
Entire Worksheet Click the gray cell between column A and row 1.
Non-Contiguous Cells Select the first cell or range of cells and then hold down the
Ctrlkey while selecting the remaining cells.

Using the keyboard

Key Direction
Enter Moves the active cell down, row to row.
Tab Moves the active cell to the right, column to column.

Shift/Enter Moves the active cell up, row to row.

Shift/Tab Moves the active cell to the left, column to column.
Ctrl/Home Moves the active cell to A1 (the top left of the spreadsheet).
Ctrl/End Moves the active cell the last cell that contains data.
Ctrl/Page Down & Moves from one worksheet to another.
Ctrl/Page Up

F2 key (function key) Opens the active cell for you to edit the data in it.

Alt/Enter Enters a hard return inside of the active cell. This will
automatically wrap your text and increase the size of the cell.

Data type Description

Text Text is any combination of numbers, spaces, and nonnumeric
characters. All cells that Excel considers to be text will be left
aligned. In the following example, these entries
would be treated as text: 1025A63N (this has numbers and
letters) 123XYZ (this has numbers and letters) 10[72
(contains a non-numeric character ) 123 456 contains a
space)
Numbers Numbers include the numeric characters 0-9 and the

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following special characters: , + - ( ) / E e $ % .
Dates and Times Internally, Excel stores dates and times as numbers. They can
be displayed, however, in several built-in formats.
Operators
Arithmetic
Operator Meaning
* Multiplication
/ Division
+ Addition
- Subtraction
% Percent
Comparison
= Equality
> Greater than
< Less than
>= Greater than or equal to
<= Less than or equal to
<> Inequality
Text
& Ampersand Concatenates, or combines, two values to produce one
continuous text value
Reference.
: Colon—A range operator, which produces a
single reference to a range of cells delimited by
a start reference and an end reference. An
example would be “D3:D7”, where “D3” is the
start reference, “:” is the range operator, and
“D7” is the end reference. All cells in between
and including D3 and D7 are in the new single
reference.
Comma—A union operator, which combines
multiple individual references into one reference.
An example would be “D3:D7,F15,B4”, where
“D3:D7”, “F15”, and “B4” are the three individual
references combined by the union operator.
Note that this different from the range operator
because no range is created from the
references.

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Creating Formulas

There are a couple of ways in which you can create a formula: type the formula into the
formula bar or directly into the cell; use Excel’s built in Insert Function utility; or use
AutoSum to have Excel automatically create a summation formula to add a group or range
of numbers.

Formulas

A formula calculates a new value from existing values. An Excel formula can contain a
combination of constant values, cell references, range names, functions, and/or operators.

Cell references are merely the address of a cell, expressed in the form a column label and
then a row label. For example, A1 is the address of the first cell in a worksheet. Ranges
names are covered in more advanced Excel workshops. Formulas always begin with an
equal sign (=). Here are a few examples:

Constant Values

= (456+57)*32

Cell References

=D3/F13

Range Names

=D3*Tax

Functions

Excel contains many predefined or built-in functions. Functions can be used to perform

simple or complex calculations. Some of the most frequently used function are the SUM,

AVERAGE, PMT, DLOOKUP, and IF functions. Here is an example of the sum function

using the cell range operator: (see the Reference

operators below).

=SUM (D3:D7).
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Copying Formulas and values.

 They are several ways of copying a formula.

1. The copy and paste buttons on your Formatting toolbar.
2. AutoFill. – Auto Fill is a quick and easy way to copy a formula to adjacent cells. To
use the AutoFill feature, do the following:
o Click on the cell whose formula you want to copy.
o Place your mouse in the lower right corner of the cell. Your selection cross
will turn into the AutoFill cross.
o Click and drag with the AutoFill cursor to the adjacent cells where you want
the formula to be copied.
o When you release the click, the results will appear in each cell.

NB When you copy a formula to other cells using the AutoFill method, Excel may
adjust the formula’s references to data based on the relative position of the new
copy. Excel only

Summary on spreadsheet
SPREADSHEET

A spreadsheet is a program for creating, analysing and manipulating numeric data. It

simulates a paper spreadsheet or worksheet. It appears on screen as a matrix of rows and
columns, the intersection of which are identified as cells.

Excel like other spreadsheet packages is a WYSIWYG package (what you see is what you
get). This means the way your work is presented on screen is the way it will appear on
hard copy.

Examples of spreadsheet packages include Lotus 1-2-3, Quatro pro, Visicalc.

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The cells are filled with the following data:

1. Labels – any text entry which when entered is automatically aligned left.
2. Values – numeric values which when entered are positioned to the right of the
cell.
3. Formulas – mathematical expressions for manipulating numeric values e.g one
can sum column figures from cell address A1 to A4 by typing the following
formula =sum (A1:A4) the underlined being the range of data to be summed.
4. Range - is a rectangular block of adjacent cells treated as a unit and can be
manipulated at the same time. A range can be specified by highlighting the area
or specifying the range name as above.

Area of Application
- business budget plans

- financial analysis of a business (income and expenditure)

- simple forecasting and decision making by management by the use of ‘what if

analysis’ models.

- statistical analysis of experimental data.

Features

Workbook
Is Microsoft Excel file containing one or more worksheets shown at the bottom of the
application window. Excel has three default worksheets numbered sheet 1, sheet 2,

sheet 3 which however can be increased as per need.

Worksheet

Is a workbook page, made up of rows and columns which intersect to form cells. The
columns are lettered and rows are numbered.
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Cell
Is a position in a worksheet where the row and column subscript intersect.

Name box
A box positioned at the left of the formula bar indicating the address or reference of the
cell. If the work area of the window is open, the name box always contain the address of
cell A1 and other cell names appear when they are activated.

Cell address or reference – is the address that identifies the cell. It is read by its column
and row subscripts.

Formula bar
Is a bar above the column subscripts bar showing data as it entered, edited, data in the
active cell. An active cell is the highlighted cell and is the target cell for required operation.

Mode indicators
The message displayed on the lower left corner of the window reflecting the current mode
of operation. Some of the mode indicators are as follows;

Ready – excel is waiting for data entry after the cell is activated.

Edit – indicates that an entry in the cell is being edited when the user press F2.

Enter – if the data is being entered.

Database.

A database –is an organized collection or related information about people or objects.

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A database – is a collection of logically related files, organized in a manner to satisfy the
needs of an organisation.

- A database can also be classified as manual or electronic.

1. In the manual system all information is kept in books or filing cabinets.
2. Computerised databases are electronic filing systems and are very useful in
providing information at a very fast speed.

NB. Manual database is replaced by a computerised database.

Disadvantages of manual database.

- Storing paper records is very bulky, often requiring several large filing cabinets.
- It is very easy to miss– file a paper record, or for records to be lost or damaged.
- Data is often duplicated in several records.
- Keeping records up to date is difficult and time consuming and often results in data
inconsistency, where values are updated in one record but not in others.
- Many people can be employed to maintain the records, which is costly.
- Searching for the records is time consuming
- Producing reports, such as sorted lists or data collection from several sources, is
extremely time consuming.

Database management system (DBMS).

It is a software package which is used to create, manipulate and present data from
electronic databases. Examples of DBMS include

1. Microsoft Access
2. filemaker pro

The DBMS allows the user to access data and to:

1. Create a new database.

2. Add new records to the current database file.
3. Modify the existing records in the active database file.
4. Sort the existing data in a specific order such as ascending or descending.
5. Summarise data in the form of reports.
6. Modify structure of fields and related information.

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7. Export and import data to or from other packages like word processing and
spreadsheet.
8. Check passwords of individual users and only allow that user to access certain parts
of the database.
9. Check passwords of individual users and only allow that user to access certain parts
of the database.
10. Ensure that recovery is possible if the database is corrupted.

A computer database consists of a number of records and each record holds similar types
of data arranged in the form of fields.

A database consists of a number of related files (sometimes called tables).

A file consists of a number of related records.

A record consists of a number of related fields.

A field is a single data item consisting of a number of characters.

Name Address Date of Birth Gender Remarks

Shoma Essex, London 30/12/78 F Excellent
Mary Blue Avenue 1/6/1988 F Good

Fields Records

Advantages of computerised databases

- Databases can store very large numbers of records efficiently (they take up little
space.).
- It is very quick and easy to find information.

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- It is easy to add new data and to edit or delete old data.
- Data can be searched easily. For example, find all students living in Moka.
- Data can be sorted into ascending or descending order on multiple criteria.
- Multi- access: more than one person can access the same database at the same time.
- Security may be better than in paper files.

Examples of database.

1. Microsoft Access
2. dbase
3. File maker
4. Open office Base.
5. Oracle.
6. SQL Server
7. FoxPro
8. Paradox

Uses of database

1. Group and format data and then extract information

2. To provide a phone directory
3. Criminals database used by police to keep track of known criminals
4. Patient records are kept in a database within a health system.
5. Tax details are kept on a government database.
6. School details are kept on a school database.
7. Database is used for quick searching records, quick updating, quick extracting of
information and quick sorting of records.

Database Structure.

- Refers to the arrangement of fields and the related information in a database.

- Database file name must start with a letter of the alphabet including letters,
numerals and underscore (_).

Example: STUDENT, STOCK, MGSS, FORM_2 valid file name.

STUDENT: F3, INV- LIST invalid file names.

Field name, For each field name chosen, it must begin with a letter followed by characters
and underscore.
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Example: NAME, STUD_NUM, AGE valid field name.

PROD NAME, STUD: NAME invalid field name

NB. We need to tell the computer system what type of data it is before entering data into
the computer. This is because the computer stores and processes different types of data in
different ways.

– a field of this data type will accept both numbers and text.

1. Numeric – a field of this data type is used to store numbers.

2. Logical/Boolean – a field of this data type will only let you enter a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No. This
maybe as text (YES/NO or TRUE/ FALSE) or as a tick/blank.
3. Date- A Date field displays the date information in different formats such as the full
name of the day/month (28th March 2017) or the numerical versions (DD/MM/YY
as 28/08/61).

Examples of data types or field types.

Data type Description
Alphanumeric/text A field of this data type will accept both numbers and text.
Alphanumeric characters up to 255 characters in length. Can
be used for text or text and numbers that are not used in
calculations.
Numeric A field of this data type is used to store numbers.
Logical/Boolean A field of this data type will only let you enter a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No.
This maybe as text (YES/NO or TRUE/FALSE) or as a
tick/blank.
Date/time Date and time values. Store both a date component and a time
component even when only displaying one or the other.

Currency Monetary values (with or without a currency symbol)

Autonumber A unique and sequential number inserted automatically each
time a new record is added.
Look upward wizard Starts Lookup Wizard to create a combo to look up values
Memo A text type those stores up to 64,000 characters.
Hyperlink Used for storing hyperlinks to provide access to webpages or
files using a single click.
Attachment Pictures, images, binary files, Office files. Storage size is limited
to 700kb.
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OLE Object Used for storing OLE objects from other microsoft window
operations.
Yes /No Yes or No, True or False values. (ticked is Yes, un-ticked equals
No)
Number Numeric values including fractional or integers. Used for
numbers likely to be used for calculations but should not used
in place of currency Data type.
Text The default type, text type allows any combination of letters
and numbers up to a maximum of 255 characters per field
record.

Data Type- The type of value that will be entered into the fields.

Field Name- This is the name of the field and should represent the contents of the
field such as "Name", "Address", "Final Grade", etc. The name cannot exceed
64characters in length and may include spaces.

NB. When designing a database, it is important to choose the correct field type/Data type.
This ensures that the data stored is usable and makes validation easier. For example, if the
price paid for goods was stored in a text field, then the database would not be able to add
each individual figure to produce a total.

The Field width or field size determines the maximum number of spaces that will be
reserved for each field or entry.

Example

 Each record of this file has 4 fields

Student Number Surname First Name Class

00001 Sam Vicky 3 Red
00002 Shaw Kelly 3 Blue
00003 Lee Cheung 3Green
00004 Jackson Michael 3 Red

 The field sizes are.

Field Name Field Size

Number 5
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Surname 10
First Name 10
Form 1

 So the record size is given by 5 + 10 + 10 + 1 = 26.

 Each record takes up 26 bytes of storage space.
 Usually each table in a database has a key field (primary key) that will be unique for
each record in that table

What is a primary key? - It is a keyfield which uniquely identifies each reach record in a
database. The following are examples of primary key or key fields:

1. Car registration number

2. National insurance number
3. Your school’s examination centre number
4. Your own examination candidate number.
5. National I.D number or Student number or Birth entry number.

Foreign key- One or more table fields that refer to the primary key field or fields in
another table.

Foreign Key- It is a field in related tables that acts as the link between two tables. For
example in the second table of two related tables, this field is not a keyfield but it is a
keyfield of some other table

Relational database- It is a database with two or more tables that are related and are
joined by a means of primary key which relate or link data in different tables.

Below is an example of a relational database.

The tables are connected with join lines that connect the primary key from one table with
a matching field in other table. This tells the database which customer has placed orders
on a particular date.

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Table one

Customer Number Customer Name Postcode Telephone

Database
Management system

Order Number Customer Number Date Number Cost

 We use this field in table one to create a relationship (link) between the two tables.
 To create the relationship, we are using the key field (primary key) from one table
to link to another.
 When a keyfield from one table appears in a different table (for example, the
customer in second table), we call this a foreign key.
 In Ms access, to set up a primary key, we need just to click on the icon primary key
on design tab whilst in the design view window and it will be set

Sorting rearranges records in a desired order. Sorting can be done in ascending or

descending order.

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Sort option Description

A Values closest to A are displayed first.
Z
Z Values closest to Z are displayed first.
A

Database objects.

1. Forms- Are an access tool that users can create to make data entry in the database
tables easier. It provides users with an easy to read interface where they can enter
table data.
2. Query- it is a database object that allows you to retrieve information from one or
more tables based on a set of search conditions you define using the table fields.
- In Ms Access, query are created using either the query design command or the query
wizard.

Example

 A simple query makes use of one field.

 (NAME = ‘Smith’)
 Complex query makes use of two or more fields with OR, AND or NOT.
 One example of this would be to search for all part – time employees over 60
years of age. This search uses the logic condition AND, which is as follows:

Status = part- time AND Age>60 years.

Examples of selection criteria operators.

Operator Meaning
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= Matches exact occurrences (This is the default
comparison criteria operator.)
> Matches records that are greater than the criteria value.
>= Matches records that are greater than or equal to the
criteria value.
< Matches records that are less than the criteria value.
<= Matches records that are less than or equal to the
criteria value.
<> This is the not equal to symbol. It excludes records with
the criteria value
And Allows you to combine the comparison operators to
retrieve only records where all of the criteria are met.
Or Allows you to combine the comparison operators to
retrieve records where only one of the criteria must be
met.
Not Excludes records or can be used to retrieve the
opposite of the criteria that follows.
Between…And Use these two Booleans together to return a range of
records, such as a date range.
Like Like Matches a pattern in a field using the wildcards
below.
* A placeholder for any amount of characters. Can be
used at the beginning or end of the criteria.
? A placeholder for a single character.
& Used to concatenate or join two or more fields together
and can also join other Characters with those fields.

3. Report – A database object which is an effective way to analyse and present data
using a specific layout. The text can be formatted in an access report, just like it can
be in word documents.
4. Table- Tables are grids of rows and columns used to store data in a structured and
organized format. Tables are similar to those of word and excel in that they contain
rows (records) and columns (fields)

Defining terms

Term Definitions
Database An organized collection of information and software to
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organize and control access to it known as DBMS.
Relational Database A management system that allows the definition of data
structures, storage and retrieval operations and rules to
preserve data quality (integrity constraints).
Table An object comprised of fields (columns) that collect
records (rows of data)about a specific topic
Field A table column that stores specific information and when
combined with other fields (columns), makes up a record.
Record A row in a table that is a collection of related data treated
as a unit.
Primary Key One or more fields whose value or values uniquely
identify each record in a table.
Foreign Key One or more table fields that refer to the primary key field
or fields in another table.
Query An object that can allow for the retrieval, display, and
updating of data from one or more related tables.
Form An object designed primarily for the display and/or entry
of data into a table, query, or other Access object but that
can also be used for other execution purposes.
Report An effective way to present data in a printed format from
a table, query, or SQL statement.
Data Access Pages A special type of web page especially designed for viewing
and working with data (stored in an Access database,
Microsoft SQL Server database, or some other type of
database) from an Internet or intranet
Macro An action or set of actions used to automate tasks.
Module An object that contains a collection of Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) declarations and procedures that are
stored together as a unit.

File It is an organized collection of data. In a computer

technology an employee file, for example consist of
collection of data about all employees.
Record Is the collection of data pertaining to one item or
individual. It consists of a number of fields which each
hold one piece of data such as name date of birth.
Field size The number of characters the field (column) can store

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