Relational Database Design: A Practical Approach

Course description

Overview: Students will learn the general principles involved in designing a database that complies with the relational database model. The conceptual content of this course in not specific to any software application. Microsoft Access will be used as the default database application

Delivery method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on and minds-on activities.

Benefits: Students will learn how to correctly design tables for use in a relational database application.

Target student: Students enrolling in this course should have a need to design or modify the design of tables to be used in a relational database management system.

Performance-based objectives

Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Be conversant with the terminology used in reference to relational databases and be familiar with the design process.
• Identify data as fields, group fields into tables, select key fields, and identify table relationships.
• Identify data problems and apply data normalization techniques to solve them.
• Use referential integrity and other data integrity techniques to support the accuracy of data in the database.
• Use criteria and operators and perform appropriate table joins in queries.
• Understand basic SQL queries and techniques for improving the performance of queries.

Course content

Lesson 1: Introduction to Relational Databases

• The Basics of Relational Databases
• Planning the Database

Lesson 2: Designing Tables

• Deciding on Tables and Fields
• Selecting Primary Key Fields
• Identifying Table Relationships
• More on Keys and Relationships

Lesson 3: Data Normalization

• Solving Data Problems
• Higher Normal Forms

Lesson 4: Data Integrity

• Referential Integrity
• Field-level Integrity
• Table-level Integrity
• Reviewing and Finalizing the Database Design

Lesson 5: Query Basics

• Performing Queries
• Multiple Table Queries

Lesson 6: More on Queries

• Other Types of Queries
• SQL
• Optimizing Query Performance