COMU114 - Introduction to Database Development

• What's on this page?
  • Announcements
  • Module Descriptor
  • Lecture Notes
  • Tutorials
  • Labs
  • Assessment
  • Reading List
  • Staff

Announcements:

Announcements for this module will be posted on Blackboard.

NEW - See Hints and Frequently Asked Questions about the coursework, updated Monday 8th.

Module Descriptor:

COMU114 Module Descriptor

This module provides an introduction to Database technologies. These technologies include basic Relational Data Modelling concepts and practice, and simple data querying. Students will develop and query a simple database which provides a specific functional element of an information system.

Lecture Notes:

Click on a title to see the list of topics in that chapter. Use the download links to get full notes or lecture slides in PDF format.

Some notes are in PDF format - you may need Adobe Reader to view and print them. You can download it using the link below:

Tutorials:

Note that tutorial sheets will be available before the relevant tutorials, and solutions will be available when all groups have completed the tutorial.

Tutorial 1 | solution
Tutorial 2 | solution
Tutorial 3 | solution
Tutorial 4 | solution
Tutorial 5 | solution

Labs:

Note that lab sheets will be available before the relevant labs, and solutions will be available when all groups have completed the lab.

Lab 1
Lab 2  |  solutions | completed database
Lab 3  |  gcutours.mdb | solutions
Lab 4  |  gcutours_app.mdb | Booking.java | BookingDAO.java | Package.java | PackageDAO.java | Tour.java | TourDAO.java | User.java | UserDAO.java | solutions
*note that Lab 4 uses the SEC-XPSP3-JavaApps {2008}{v2.1} virtual machine
Lab 5  |  gcutours.mdb | gcucars.mdb | normalisation_demo.mdb | solutions

Assessment:

August 2009 resit assessment information:

If you have not achieved an overall pass mark in your coursework you have the following re-assessment opportunities:

Class Test,week beginning 17th August, exact time and location to be announced. This will be a multiple choice test on Blackboard. The test will be open-book, and questions will cover a range of the topic areas in your notes. This test is worth 20% of the overall module mark.

Hand-in Assignment, due August 18th. This is a resubmission of the assigment issued previously. Specification and other details are listed below. This assigment is worth 80% of the overall module mark.

Your overall module mark will be calculated by combining your class test and assigment marks. If you have not passed the module you may attempt both of these assessments to improve your overall mark. However, if you attempt only one assessment, marks gained previously will be taken into account. For example, if you only submit the hand-in assigment then your November class test mark will be used in the calculation of your overall mark.

Hand-in assignment information:

November Class Test solution is available to help with the hand-in assignment.

The assignment specification is available for downlaod. Please note the following:

• this assigment contributes 80% of the overall module mark
• there are four tasks within the assignment - please attempt all tasks
• your completed assignment should be handed in on or before Tuesday 18th August at 4pm
• the deliverables consist of an Access database and a Word document - the content to be included in these is described in the assignment specification
• you should submit your Access database and Word document through the Digital Dropbox in Blackboard (use the SEND FILE option)
• you should also submit a paper copy of your Word document to me in Room M628

NEW - See Hints and Frequently Asked Questions about the coursework.

Assessment procedure for first year semester A modules
The formative assessment process completes at the end of week 6 (for semester A(i) modules) and week 12 (for semester A(ii) modules).  If you pass the formative assessment at the end of the module you will NOT be required to sit the summative assessment which takes place during the formal exam period in January.

Reading List:

There is no set text for this module, but you may find the following books useful:
Beginning Database Design: From Novice to Professional  (Clare Churcher, Apress, ISBN 1-59059-769-9)
Head First SQL (Lynn Beighley, O'Reilly, ISBN 0-596-52684-9)
Inside Relational Databases with Examples in Access (Mark Whitehorn & Bill Marklyn, Springer-Verlag, ISBN 1846283949

Staff:
Jim Paterson, Room M628, 0141 331 3028, James.Paterson-at-gcal.ac.uk

When sending e-mail please substitute -at- with the usual internet e-mail name/address separator

COMU114 Session 2008/09