You are to build a database for all the music CDs, tapes, LPs that you own. To do so, you have selected a relational database application on a PC or Mac. Examples include File Maker Pro, Claris Works Database, Microsoft Access, etc. (in the CS lab, you have access to both File Maker Pro and Claris Works). The fields that you want to have must include the title of the record, the performer(s) (e.g. Julio), the type of music (e.g. new age), the type of the record (e.g. CD, cassette, videotape, LP), the length of the record in minutes, the date that record was added to your collection, and any other fields you think may be necessary (e.g. you may want to have a field where you store the name of any person who is borrowing that record from you, etc.) Once you built the database (as explained above), you should add in it few records (at least 10 records). Make sure your records are different enough (e.g. some are CDs, and some are LPs, some are classic music, and some are new age, etc.)

Once you have done the above, proceed to produce (and hand in) the following:

a. A 1-page showing in standard layout all the fields for one record of your database.

b. 4 significantly different reports from your database. By significantly different, we mean that your reports should illustrate various features of the database program (e.g. sorting, filtering, projections, formatting, ...)

c. A 1-page explanation (using msWord or any other word processor) of how each report you produced in part (b.) above is different and what it contains; for example ... ``Report contains all CDs by Micahel Jackson sorted by the date they were acquired'', or ``Report contains the titles of all records that have been borrowed by a friend, sorted by the friend's last name''.

In your own words explain what is meant by the following problems in database research:

• Database Join Operation
• Data Mining
• Database Consistency
• Concurrency Control

Created on: 1997.11.20
Updated on: 1997.11.20
Maintainer: Azer Bestavros
            best@cs.bu.edu