Application Cases in MIS - Developing Database Applications

Characteristics of Spreadsheet and Database Packages
Key Spreadsheet Features
1. Provides an intuitive and user friendly interface that is easy for users to work with in building applications.
2. Allows relatively complex mathematical and statistical computations to be performed including comparisons of individual and summary values.
3. Allows extensive user interaction with applications and user control of parameters for "what if" analysis.
4. Allows flexible formatting and layout of data for reporting.
5. Allows presentation of results in graphical form.
6. Allows the rapid entry and use of small amounts of data which do not need to be maintained for repaeated long term use.
Key Spreadsheet Features
1. Allows controlled entry and maintenance of data that is needed for sets of data that will be accumulated and used over time.
2. Allows data to be made available in a variety of sorted orders that might be required for different applications.
3. Allows summarized or selected data to be quickly and easily provided when needed for reporting purposes.
4. Allows logically related data from multiple files to be linked together.
5. Allows the same data to be used in different forms and sorted in different ways, in a variety of different output documents.
THE TEES ARE WE CASE - pg. 69
ANALYSIS
need to identify the requirements the application must meet with respect to each of the fundamental components of the IS. [Fig. 3-2 (pg. 72)]
- input
- output
- processing
- storage
- control
- user interface
DESIGN - visual representation of the elements needed to meet an application's requirements
- Entity Relationship diagrams
- Semantic Object Models
- Table Structure [Fig. 3-3 (pg. 75)]
- Data Dictionary Forms [Fig. 3-4 (pg. 76)]
- Reports [Fig. 3-5 (pg. 79) and Fig. 3-6 (pg. 80)]
- Forms - for data entry
- Queries - for answering questions and preparing data for reporting
DOCUMENTATION external documentation required [Fig. 3-7 (pg. 83)]
INTEGRATED APPLICATIONS
- Use the database application to collect and store the needed data.
- Export the data to a spreadsheet and use the spreadsheet software to manipulate and analyze the data
- Use the word processor to document and report.
MULTI-TABLE DATABASE APPLICATIONS requires additional tables and may require adding forms, queries, and reports [Fig. 3-8(pg.85), Fig. 3-9(pg. 85), Fig. 3-10(pg. 86)]
TEST YOUR APPLICATION THOROUGHLY
Database Applications from ACCESS book