Welcome to DBS211 - Introduction to Database Systems
Table of Contents
In the world of software development, the database has a significant roll and it is rare today to find software that does not involve the use of a database in one way or another. According to Statista.com (as of May 2020):
The majority of modern software deals with storing, extracting and manipulating data in some way. It is therefore essential that programmers are familiar with database systems, their design and best practises for dealing with database communication and interaction. Whether the developer is working on the user interface or the business logic coding, being familiar with the database is very beneficial. In modern software development, teams often work together using agile and scrum methods to develop large systems simultaneously and the ability to communicate intelligently about each others requirements makes all aspects of software development more efficient and more effective.
A typical group of students taking a database course often has a very wide range of previous experience with data and databases. As an introduction course, it is assumed that the student has no prior knowledge of the subject and are learning the topics for the first time. It is encouraged that students with prior knowledge of database systems still complete all exercises and then assist those whom are new to databases. A student's learning is further enhanced when they need to explain it to others. It is always amazing how many little, but important, details learners can pay attention to the second time reviewing a topic when the foundation has already been set.
All student's learn in their own unique way and it is essential that each student go through the content at their own pace and spent the time needed to understand the fundamental concepts. Some student's will grasp the concepts easily and can enrich their learning experience through questions and more advanced work, other students will find the concepts difficult and will need much more time to thouroughly learn the subject matter. It is essential that the studen engages in the course and reaches out for assistance when it is needed. Your facilitator will communicate with you in the best ways to reach out and get assistance when it is needed.
NOTE: This website is a work in progress and will be updated periodically to correct mistakes, add additional material and practice exercises. Please do not hesistate to email the author if you find any mistakes that need to be corrected. Please include the URL of the page where changes need to occur.
This website was created in an attempt to provide reading and learning materials for the dbs211 course. By providing basic content, examples and links to external resources, the student should be able to achieve the understanding of topics required to be successful in the course and gain knowledge of the subject matter to assist them in their future careers.
The website is broken down into a series of weekly lessons, each containing multiple modules expanding upon micro-topics of the overal subject matter. This is to make each individuals experience through the course fit to their needs and time commitments. Each module contains, background information, content, examples and potentially practice exercises to help the student learn the topic. In addition to the provided content, links to external sources for more reading, practice or learning are provided when available. Some modules contain links to video lessons created in order to further demonstrate the topic in more detail in a visual way.
Code examples, where they are appropriate, are provided within each modules content. Additional samples and practice work may be found within linked or referenced materials. Code is included in the content in 2 ways.
The first method is when commands are mentioned in the text portion of the content.
The second method is when snippets of code are provided as examples or demonstrations, for example:
SELECT title, director, year FROM movies WHERE year > 2010 ORDER BY year DESC;
Follow the instructions on how to get SQL Developer installed for use during this course.