Reference no: EM132311484

Part A. Database implementation using MS Access

Introduction

The sample solution of assignment 1 will be released on the unit website approximately two (2) weeks after the assignment 1 due date. You must use that sample solution of assignment 1 only for the following tasks:

Assessment task

1 Normalization

Map the ERD, from the sample solution, into a set of relations in at least Third Normal Form (3NF). You must ensure that your relations meet 3NF. There is no need to show your working.

Select any two of your relations from the previous step, 1a), and perform the following for each of those two relations:
List all the functional dependencies exist in the relation.
Demonstrate that the relation meets Third Normal Form (3NF).
For your help, an example for a Student relation's 3NF justification has been provided below:
STUDENT (StudentID, Name, Address, DateOfBirth)

The primary key is StudentID which identifies a student. There will be one student name per Student ID because only one name is recorded for each student. Even though a student may have multiple addresses (e.g. a home address and a work address), the case study states that there is a need to record the home address only and hence there will be only one address for each student. There will be only one date of birth for each student. Thus, there are no repeating groups. Hence, this relation is in 1NF.

The primary key is StudentID. This is the only candidate key since Name is not guaranteed to be unique (two different students may have the same name). Address is also not guaranteed to be unique. This means that Student ID functionally determines every other attribute in the table. The candidate key, StudentId, is a simple and single valued attribute. Therefore no partial dependencies are possible. Hence, the relation is in 2NF.

Name cannot be used to functionally determine any other attribute in the table since two different students may have the same name; likewise for address and date of birth. Therefore there are no transitive dependencies in the table. Therefore it meets the requirements of first, second and third normal form.

2 Relational database implementation

Note: Use the relations that you created in the above step 1- Normalization to create a database. The recommended tool for this work is Microsoft Access, version 2010 or later. One reason for recommending Microsoft Access is that your unit lecturer/tutor will be able to provide adequate support to you in the use of this tool. The remainder of this document in Part A assumes that you are using MS-Access.

In implementing the ER model provided, you must complete the following tasks:

Create all the relations in a Microsoft Access database. Consider each attribute in every table and make appropriate choices regarding data types & sizes, indexes, required/not required and validation rules. Your choices should be appropriate for each attribute and should support data integrity. (Note: see the Data Integrity section below for specific data integrity requirements)

Create relationships as appropriate. Enforce referential integrity for all appropriate relationships in the database. Apply cascade update and/or delete options wherever necessary.

Review the default index created by Access for each table. You should ensure that the indexes follow the guidelines given in the unit textbook.

Populate the database with sample data of your own. You must include sufficient sample data to test your queries and report. Please note that the expected result of query questions may depend on the actual sample data populated.

Data integrity
Select one table that contains at least three different data type attributes, such as date, text and currency value attributes. For that selected table, develop and implement suitable integrity constraints for its attributes. You need to provide those integrity constraints in the following tabular form:

 

Attribute

Data type

Integrity constraint implemented

Error message

Information requests
Create queries to answer the following information requests. Note: Do not use the Access query builder (QBE) to create your queries - you should type the queries manually using SQL view/editor.

The marking process of the queries for information requests may also consider the effectiveness of your SQL statements that have been used in the queries. It is important that your SQL statements must reflect the correct business logic & SQL syntax.
Note: Use enough sample data so that the output is produced by each and every query.

For each kind of delivery status find out the number of parcels. Display the delivery status and the corresponding number of parcels. Note: Delivery status can be different based on your assumption, however they could be collected or transit, delivered, returned, transit and so on.

Display the number of parcels that have been lost but have not been claimed yet for any compensation.

Display the details of the customers who have contributed the maximum amount of charges to CQPS through all of their parcel delivery orders.

List the details of employees who have handled/involved with at least five parcels and at the same time have not been involved with any of the lost parcels. Display their details in ascending order of their name.

Display the details of employee(s) whose name contains the word "wheel".

Report
Create a simple report object showing the details of parcels that have been lost. The report should also display the details of senders of the parcels and the employees who collected them.

Hints:
Create a query that lists all details needed for a report. If you are unable to formulate this query, then create a report that is based directly on the table(s). [Note: you will not be able to obtain full marks for the report creation if you base your report directly on the table(s) and some criteria are not met in your reports.]

Use the report wizard to generate a basic report based upon your query [or the table(s) if you were unable to formulate the query]. Once the report wizard finishes, switch to design view and rename the labels appropriately; for example, change the label ‘CollectedDate' to ‘Collected Date'.

You are allowed to create the report without using report wizard too.

Implementation Report

You must also provide a short implementation report describing your experiences with this assignment. You may discuss any of the following:

Any two interesting things/procedures you have learnt by doing this assignment.

Any one of the assignment tasks that was relatively difficult / complex to solve but has been successfully completed by you.
Use the implementation report to demonstrate that you have thought carefully about the issues that arise when implementing a relational database.

What you should submit
Microsoft Access databases file containing:
Tables with sample data
Relationships
Queries
Integrity constraints
Report (object).
A Microsoft Word document containing:
A set of relations mapped from E-R diagram (3NF)
Two relations with functional dependencies and demonstration of normalization
A table showing integrity constraints used in the selected table
Implementation report
Your document should contain appropriate identification information (your student number, name, unit number, etc.) and should contain the relevant headings for each section.

Part B. Database implementation using MySQL Server

Consider a simplified version E-R model for the CQPS, where you only deal with three relations Customer, Parcel and Employee (ignore all other relations). Based on this simplified E-R model and using MySQL Workbench, create a database schema with the above three relations, including the primary keys, foreign keys and an E-R diagram. Please see the document titled - Appendix - Guidelines and the assessment task for Assignment 2 - Part B on moodle unit website.

For on-campus students: Demonstrate your implementation as required above in Week 10 or Week 11 tutorial time to your local tutor during the scheduled tutorial session. In one of those weeks' tutorial session, your local tutor will show you the basic skills on how to create a database using MySQL Workbench. You don't need to submit a separate file on this part.