CIS 2210 - Database Management and Design

Review for First Test

The following questions are provided to help you study for the first test. Do not expect to see these exact questions on the test.

1. What is the difference between data and information?
   
   
2. What are some advantages to using a DBMS based database? What are some disadvantages?
   
   
3. What is unstructured data? Where is it likely to be found?
   What is structured data? Where is is likely to be found?
   What is semistructured data?
   
   
4. What is an entity, with respect to databases?
   
   
5. What is an instance, and how is it related to an entity?
   
   
6. What are other names for attributes? What are they, generally?
   
   
7. What is a general name for most files that are in a relational database?
   
   
8. What are structural dependence and independence? Why do you want to have one of them?
   
   
9. How are relationships implemented in a relational database?
   
   
10. How are attributes generally arranged in a table?
    
    
11. What do rows generally represent in a table?
    
    
12. What uniquely identifies each row in a table?
    
    
13. What are the rules for calling a table a relation?
    
    
14. What term is used for a relation that does not meet one of the tests of a relation?
    
    
15. What do we call a rule that controls the kind of data that is allowed to go in a given field?
    
    
16. When studying the business rules of a company, what will the nouns and verbs usually correspond to?
    
    
17. What is the difference between the DDL and the DML of a DBMS?
    
    
18. What does it mean if we say that A is functionally dependent on B?
    What does it mean if we say that A functionally determines B?
    
    
19. What is entity integrity?
    
    
20. What is referential integrity?
    
    
21. What is a natural join?
    
    
22. What is an index?
    
    
23. What is the index that a DBMS will probably create by default?
    
    
24. How must commands end in MySQL?
    
    
25. What is a NULL value?
    
    
26. What wildcard is used in MySQL to stand for all fields?
    
    
27. How do you phrase an SQL command in order to see all rows in a table?
    
    
28. What is an example of an optional clause to the SELECT command?
    
    
29. Which clause of the SELECT command names the fields to be shown? Which clause names the table?
    
    
30. What are the comparison operators? What are their meanings?
    
    
31. What do you do to change an SQL sort command to work in descending order?
    
    
32. What are the aggregate functions in SQL? Which one does not require a numeric field to work?
    
    
33. What are nested queries? In what order are they evaluated?