Application software:Record-keeping tasks

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clip_image001Record-keeping tasks

The tasks that need to be carried out on a database file are as follows.

Designing the file. Before you can keep records, you must first design the template and other parts of the record­ keeping system. It's worth taking some trouble over this task, as you only have to carry it out once. Templates designed for one file can often be used for others, though perhaps with some modification.

Adding and deleting records. Once the template has been designed you can start adding records to your file. From time to time you will need to add more new records, and you will need to delete from the file old records that are no longer required. In the case of the student records file, for example, many new records have to be added at the start of each year, and the records of students who have left deleted. Updating records. You need to keep records up to date by entering new data in them. For example, you need to enter stock movements in the case of a stock file, or assignment grades in the case of student records. You may also need to amend data which is no longer correct, as when the price of a stock item changes, or a student moves to a new address. Validating data. Because of the risk of human error, you need to build into your system automatic checks on the validity, or reasonableness, of the data that you enter. This may mean checking that it lies within a certain range, or that it is of the right type, e.g. textual, or numerical. Searching records. You need to be able to locate individual records, perhaps to deal with queries. For example, you may need to look up the record of a student to check his or her performance; or to look up a particular stock item to check the balance in stock. You also need to be able to find all records that conform to certain criteria. For example, you may want to find all students who achieved less than a certain mark in English, or all stock items with stock balances below the reorder level.

Sorting records. You may also wish to sort the records in a file into order. For example, you may want to list student records alphabetically by name, or in order of overall grade. Calculating. There are a variety of calculations you may wish to carry out on the records in a file. You may wish to update stock balances each time there is a stock movement, or calculate the total value of all stock held.

Reporting. You will also need to produce periodic reports which summarize the data held in a file. In the case of the student records, for example, you may want to know the average marks achieved by the class for each assignment, in order to check out the effectiveness of the teaching and assignment program. In the case of the stock records, you may want to produce reorder lists of stock that is running out, or a summary of stock movements by category of stock.

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