Database Modeling

Students will learn the proper way to build a relational database by
exploring the following topics:

        *  How do I get started?  The class will explore through a group
             participation exercise how to define what the database will do
             and what it won't do.  We'll explore the "reverse engineering"
             principle, where we know what we want out of the database
             and work backwards to get there.
       *  Learning normalization techniques, i.e. how many tables should I
             make, how many fields do I need.
       *  Designing tables using primary keys, foreign keys, field data types.
       *  Understanding and establishing relationships between the tables in
             the database.  What does one-to-one and one-to-many mean?
       *  What is referential integrity and why must tables use this?
             Hint:it keeps your database information accurate and
             cuts down on data entry errors.
       *  Understanding the difference between a table and query.
       *  Common errors to avoid.

Class exercises reinforce knowledge.  Participation encouraged.

The format for this class is a lecture, focusing on the concepts of
database design.

There will be an afternoon lab held in the GTF with the goal of further reinforcing this material. Students are encouraged to bring their data to be modeled and use the time to start to build your database.