Overview

This chapter presents the database that will be generated to meet the scope of work on this project. Information management is discussed in general terms in Part II of this book. Differences between the spreadsheet and the database have been discussed in Part II, and so will not be discussed again here. It is recommended that these discussions in Part II be revisited before proceeding.

Microsoft Access is called a relational database in that relationships may be configured among data tables. It is a multiuser database that allows data access by more than one person at a time. Data changes are stored every time the user leaves a record, so collisions between users are avoided. This also eliminates the risk of losing data due to a power failure or other calamity.

To review, a database is a medium for data storage and retrieval. Database programs such as Microsoft 's Access consist of the following elements:

• Tables to store data

• Queries to retrieve specific data or data sets

• Forms to allow the user to optimize data read/write activities

• Reports to let the user optimize data presentation

In short, a database program lets the user quickly enter data or extract specific information out of the mass of data items in the database.

Two primary types of information must be managed by the instrument database: document and instrument. With Microsoft Access, each of these types of information can be maintained in the same database. But, since the types of information related to...