THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO
CATER STUDENT'S RECORDS IN SCHOOL: AN INTRODUCTION TO WEBBASED APPLICATIONS
BY:
MAHFUDZAH OTHMAN
ZAINAB OTHMAN
MOHD. NORAFIZAL ABD. AZIZ
JUNE 2005
11
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Tarikh
22 Julai 2003
Bi@l|H
Teknologj
*zZj£3 MARA
Pn. Mahfudzah Odiman
Pensyarah Komputer
Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat & Sams Kuantitatif
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Cawangan Pahang,
26400 Bandar Jengka Pahang.
Unit Penyelidikan dan
Perundingan
Puan,
TAJUK PROJEK: T H E I M P L E M E N T A T I O N O F D A T A B A S E M A N A G E M E N T
SYSTEM
TO
CATER
STUDENT'S
RECORDS
IN
SCHOOL
:
AN
I N T R O D U C T I O N TO WEB-BASED APPLICATIONS
Sukacita dimaklumkan bahawa Jawatankuasa Penyelidikan dan Perundingan di peringkat
UiTM Cawangan Pahang telah membuat keputusan:
l.
Bersetuju meluluskaa cadangan penyelidikan yang dikemukakan oleh puan, En.
Mohd. Norafizal Abd. Aziz dan Pn. Zainab Othman.
ii.
T e m p o h projek penyelidikan ini ialah 12 bulan, iaitu mulai 1 O g o s 2003 hingga 31
J u k i 2004.
in.
Kos yang diluluskan ialah sebanyak RM10.000.00 sahaja.
iv.
Pcnggunaan geraii
ditandatangani.
v.
Semua pembelian peralatan yang kosnya melebihi RM500.00 satu item perlu
menggunakan Pesanan jabatan Universiti Teknologi MARA (LO). Pihak puan juga
dikehendaki mematuhi peraturan penerimaan peralatan.
vi.
Kertaskerja boleh dibentangkan di seminar setelah 7 5 % deraf awal l a p o r a n akhir
projek dihantar ke Biro untuk semakan. Walau bagaimana pun, puan peira membuat
permohonan kepada Biro Penyelidikan dan Perundingan UiTM Shah Alam.
vn.
Pihak puan dikehendaki mengemukakan Laporan Kemajuan Projek P e n y e l i d i k a n
pada setiap 15 lib. April, 15 hb. Ogos dan 15 hb. Disember sepanjang projek
penyelidikan berjalan. Laporan Akhir perlu dihantar sebaik sahaja projek
penyelidikan disiapkan. Format menulis laporan akhir boleh diperolehi di Unit
Penyelidikan dan Perundingan UiTM Pahang.
yang
diluluskan
ha.nya
akan
diproses
setekh
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Pahang, Lintasan SBmarak, 2G40D Bandar Jengka, Pahang
Te! • 09-4602284 Fax: 09-4GD2455 http://www.pahang.uitm.edu.my
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perjanjian
Beisama sama mi diseitakan Suiat Peijanjian untuk ditandatangam oleh pihak puan Sila
penuhkan peijanjian beikenaan dengan menggunakan pen beidakwat mtam dan kembakkan
ke Unit Penyelidikan dan Peiundtngan UiTM Pahang untuk tindakan selaiijutnya
Sekian, teiima kasih
"SELAMAT M E N J A L A N K A N P E N Y E L I D I K A N "
Yang benai,
PROF. M A D Y A I R . A B D U L L A H SUHAIMI B I N M O H A M E D
Pengarah Kampus,
U i T M Cawangan Pahang
sk
1
P e n o l o n g N a i b Canseloi (Penyehdikan)
B n o Penyehdikan dan Peiundingan
Univeisiti I eknoiogi MARA
2
Pegawai Kcija Akaun
Unit Kewangan Z o n 17
B n o Penyehdikan dan Peiundingan
3
Kooidmatoi
Unit Penyehdikan dan Perundingan,
Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Pahang
4
1 imbalan Bendahan,
Lmn eisiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Pahang
Universal Teknulogi MARA Cawangan Pahang Lintasan SEmarak 2B4DD Bandar Jengka Pahang
Tel D9 4G02284 Fax OS 4602455 http//www pahang uitm edu my
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Tarikh
No. Fail Projek :
30 Jun 2005
Penolong Naib Canselor (Penyelidikan)
Institut Penyelidikan, Pembangunan dan Pengkomersilan
Universiti Teknologi MARA
40450 Shah Alam
Ybhg. Prof.,
LAPORAN AKHIR PENYELIDIKAN "THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO CATER STUDENT'S RECORDS IN
SCHOOL: AN INTRODUCTION TO WEB-BASED APPLICATIONS"
Merujuk kepada perkara di atas, bersama-sama ini disertakan 3 (tiga) naskah
Laporan Akhir Penyelidikan bertajuk "The Implementation Of Database
Management System To Cater Student's Records In School: An Introduction To
Web-Based Applications".
Sekian, terima kasih.
Yang benar,
/Y
MAWFUDZAH OTHMAN
Ketua
Projek Penyelidikan
iii
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PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS
MAHFUDZAH OTHMAN
Project Leader
ZAINAB OTHMAN
Project Member
SKsnlature
MOHD. NORAFIZAL ABD. AZIZ
Project Member
Signature
iv
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to be thankful to Allah for giving us the courage and strength to complete this
project.
And, we would also like to give our warmest appreciation and gratitude to those
involved parties whether individuals or organizations, who have given us lots of co operations
and supports. Some of them are:
Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan Dasar Pendidikan,
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
Unit Perhubungan, Pendaftaran dan Pendidikan Swasta, Sektor Pengurusan Sekolah,
Jabatan Pendidikan Pahang
Institute of Research, Development and Commercialisation (IRDC), UiTM
Unit Perkhidmatan Teknologi Maklumat, UiTM Pahang
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jengka Pusat (2), Pahang
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (LKTP) Jengka 16, Pahang
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (LKTP) Jengka 21, Pahang
And, also to everybody who have been supporting us throughout the process of completing this
project. May Allah bless each and every one of you.
AMIN.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
v
LIST OF FIGURES
x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
xii
ABSTRACT
xiv
CHAPTER
I
II
INTRODUCTION
1.0
introduction
1
1.1
Problem Statement
3
1.2
Project Significance
3
1.3
Project Objective
4
1.4
Project Scope
4
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0
Introduction
5
2.1
File-Processing Approach versus Database
5
Processing Approach
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2.1.1 The Pros and Cons of File-Processing
5
Approach
2.1.2 The Pros and Cons of Database
7
Processing Approach
2.2
The Definition of Database
9
2.3
The Web-based Applications
9
2.3.1 The Architecture of Web Applications
11
The Concept of Student Management System
14
2.4
III
METHODOLOGY
3.0
Introduction
17
3.1
System Development Research Methodology
18
3.1.1
Construct a Conceptual Framework
19
3.1.2
Develop System Architecture
19
3.1.3
Analyze and Design the System
19
3.1.4
Built the Prototype System
20
3.1.5
Test and Evaluate the Prototype
20
System
IV
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN REVIEW
4.0
Introduction
21
4.1
Analysis Findings
21
4.2
Weaknesses
22
4.3
Advantages
22
4.4
The Requirement of the Systems
22
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4.5
Analyze and Design the System
24
4.5.1
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
24
4.5.2
Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
26
FINDINGS
V!
5.0
Introduction
36
5.1
Registration Menu
36
5.2
Subject Selection Menu
40
5.3
Co-Curriculum Menu
44
5.4
Attendance Record Menu
46
5.5
Discipline Record Menu
51
5.6
Teachers Record Menu
54
5.7
View Record Menu
54
SYSTEM EVALUATION
6.0
Introduction
57
6.1
Student's Management Record
57
6.2
System's Database
57
6.3
System's User Interface
58
6.4
System's Benefits
58
6.5
System's Weaknesses and Limitations
58
6.5.1
System's User Interface
59
6.5.2
System's Efficiency and Effectiveness
59
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VII
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
7.0
Introduction
61
7.1
Recommendations
61
7.2
Conclusion
63
BIBLIOGRAPHY
64
APPENDIX A: SAMPLE OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
67
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 2.1
Architecture of Web Applications
11
Figure 3.1
A Process for System Development Research Methodology
18
Figure 4.1
Entity Relationship Diagram for Student Management System
24
Figure 4.2
Context Diagram for Student Management System
27
Figure 4.3
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 0 for Student Management
28
System
Figure 4.4
Data Row Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 1.0
29
Figure 4.5
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 2.0
30
Figure 4.6
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 3.0
31
Figure 4.7
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 4.0
32
Figure 4.8
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 5.0
33
Figure 4.9
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 6.0
34
Figure 4.10
Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Level 1 for Process 7.0
34
Figure 5.1
The Login Form
36
Figure 5.2
The Registration Menu
37
Figure 5.3
The Registration Form
38
Figure 5.4
List of Student's Registration Records
38
Figure 5.5
Example of Query Form to Edit a Student's Record
39
Figure 5.6
Example of Query Form to Delete a Student's Record
39
Figure 5.7
The Subject Selection Menu
40
Figure 5.8
Example of Additional Subject Selection Form
41
Figure 5.9
Example of Query Form to Edit a Student's Additional Subject
41
Figure 5.10
Example of Query Form to Update a Student's Additional Subject
42
Figure 5.11
Example of Query Form to Delete a Student's Additional Subject
42
Figure 5.12
Example of Confirmation to Delete a Student's Additional Subject
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x
Figure 5 13
Example
of Compulsory Subjects
and
Additional
Subjects
43
Registered by a Student
Figure 5 14
The Co-Curriculum Menu
44
Figure 5 15
The List of Co-Curriculum Activities
45
Figure 5 16
Example of Co-Curriculum List Registered by a Student
45
Figure 5 17
The Attendance Record Menu
46
Figure 5 18
Example of Query Form to Enter the Attendance Form
47
Figure 5 19
Example of Attendance Form
47
Figure 5 20
Example of Query Form t Edit Attendance
48
Figure 5 21
Example to Edit Attendance Record
48
Figure 5 22
Example of Query Form to Edit Attendance Record
49
Figure 5 23
Example of Query Form to Delete a Student's Attendance Record
49
Figure 5 24
Example of Confirmation to Delete a Student's Attendance Record
50
Figure 5 25
Example of a Student's Attendance Record that has been deleted
50
Figure 5 26
The Discipline Record Menu
51
Figure 5 27
Example to Add Discipline Record
52
Figure 5 28
The Sub menus to View Discipline Record
52
Figure 5 29
Exampie to View All Discipline Records
53
Figure 5 30
The Sub menus to Delete Discipline Records
53
Figure 5 31
The Teachers Record Menu
54
Figure 5 32
The Menu to View Teacher's Records
55
Figure 5 33
Example of Query Form to View a Teacher's Record
55
Figure 5 34
Example of a Teacher's Record
56
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XI
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ACID
Atomic, Consistent, Independent, Durable
ASP
Active Server Page
CASE
Computer-aided Systems Engineering
CGI
Common Gateway Interface
COBOL
Common Business Oriented Language
COPPA
Children's Online Privacy Protection
CPU
Central Processing Unit
DBMS
Database Management System
DFD
Data Flow Diagram
DOS
Disk Operating System
ERD
Entity Relationship Diagram
FAST
Facilitated Application Specification Technique
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format
GPL
GNU General Public License
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol
IIS
Internet Information Server
JSP
Java Server Page
LAMP
Linux, Apache, MySQL, P* (PHP, Perl, Phython)
LAN
Local Area Network
MMS
Modular Management System
MySQL
My Structured Query Language
ODBMS
Object-oriented Database Management System
OOP
Object-Oriented Programming
PHP
Hypertext Preprocessor
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xii
PIECES
Performance, Information, Economics, Control, Efficiency, Service
PL/I
Programming Language 1
PowerSchool SIS
PowerSchool Student Information System
RDBMS
Relational Database Management System
SASIxp
Schools Administrative Student Information Software
SPBT
Skim Pinjaman Buku Teks
SPM
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer
SQL
Structured Query Language
UNIX
Uniplexed Information and Computing System
VB
Visual Basic
WWW
World Wide Web
XML
Extensible Markup Language
COPYRIGHT © UiTM
xiii
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO
CATER STUDENT'S RECORDS IN SCHOOL: AN INTRODUCTION TO WEBBASED APPLICATIONS
ABSTRACT
The study was carried out in order to implement a database management system to cater
student's records in school. Besides that, the objective of the study is also to introduce the webbased application and produce an online system to support students' activities in schools. The
System Development Research Methodology is the methodology used in the study
Th°
prototype of Student Management System is built using the MySQL relational database, together
with PHP and Apache Web server.
paper.
The benefits of these technologies are discussed in this
The combination of these technologies makes the Student Management System
featured with many benefits that are believed can help to enhance today's education system.
xiv
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0
Introduction
Currently, developing a Web-based application has become a priority to most
organizations.
Most of the corporate sectors nowadays have been using the Web-based
applications to support their everyday business activities, such as the online service site of San
Francisco-based mPower (www.mpower.com) and freeware and open source programmer
content site Andover.net (Babcock, 2000). Moreover, pioneers such as Amazon.com, Dell and
Federal Express have demonstrated success with Web-based businesses (Oppel, 1999).
However, there are not many schools that have been developing Web-based applications to
handle students' activities in various areas such as registrations, attendances, co-curriculum
enrollments, subject selections, examinations and many other activities that concern students
(Media & Methods, 2000).
Many benefits could be gained in having a Web-based Student Management System in
schools.
For example, The Sergeant Bluff-Luton School District has been implementing the
Web-based Student Management System for the past three years (Media & Methods, 2000).
With this method, they manage to handle students' records in more efficient ways. Before this,
The Sergeant Bluff-Luton School District and most of the schools nowadays, have been using
the old-custom ways where all the information such as student progress, attendances, cocurriculum enrollments and teacher lesson plans were all recorded on papers.
error-prone and loss of important and confidential information.
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This could be
However, according to Media and Methods (2000), after implementing the Web-based
system in all areas of The Sergeant Bluff-Luton School District's administration and teaching, it
has improved the education level in the school. For instance, teachers can enter attendances
into computers in each classroom and the student count can be sent instantaneously to the
office and lunchroom. With this Web-based method, teachers can pull this information up at
conference time and if a student has some attendance issues, the teacher can pull it up on the
computer.
Another example is the Modular Management System for Schools or MMS 2000 that
has been developed by Computer Resources, LLC (Computer Resources, LLC, 1999). This
administrative software is developed to support various students' activities in school such as
Attendance Reporting System, Student Scheduling System and Discipline Monitoring System.
One of the advantages in using this system is that it is flexible and easy-to-use. Furthermore,
this system could generate letters to parents or warning reoorts or even certificate of
recognitions. All these specialties could help the school administrators to efficiently manage
students' activities and improve the school operations.
Furthermore, PowerSchool System is another system, which had been using the Webbased application concept to enhance today's education level.
With the browser-based
interface, it features various aspects that accommodate students' activities in schools. Like the
MMS 2000 and Sergeant Bluff Luton School District's Web-based Student Management System,
PowerSchool also features benefits that will not only receive by the school administrators, but
also the students as well as their parents.
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1.1
Problem Statement
Nowadays, database systems have become the chosen alternative to overcome the
limitations of file systems such as data isolation and duplication in many organizations (Kroenke,
1998).
However, based on the researcher's observations, most of the schools nowadays are
still using manual systems to manage the students' records. In most schools, the students'
records are kept in different files and this situation would lead to the risks of lost, damage and
duplication of data.
In addition, the nature of the manual system would also lead to the
difficulties in managing students' records systematically. Therefore, this study is aimed to
address the problem by introducing tne implementation of database systems in schools. The
implementation of database systems is hoped to help the schools' administrators to manage
students' records more effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, the Web-based application on
the other hand could permit more efficient, faster and easier access to the information by users.
According to PowerSchool, (2001), with the Web-based application technique, data could be
stored, retrieved and viewed by multi-users via the Web-browser simultaneously and this will
improve information sharing among users
For this study, the development of the prototype system is hoped to give an initial
assessment of the Web-based Student Management System's effectiveness. In addition, this
will promote further enhancement of a more comprehensive Web-based database systems in
schools.
1.2
Project Significance
This project creates a database system for students' records in schools can be a
reference to the other researchers for the similar system in the future. The usage of this system
helps to reduce the inconsistency and improve the integration of the operational data, improve in
data concurrency, referential integrity, security, data replication, optimization and many others.
This system also helps to promote the paperless environment as well as improving the records
management to make it more effective and efficient.
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1.3
Project Objective
One of the objectives of this project is to conduct a research in improving students'
records management in schools by introducing the use of database management system.
Furthermore, the purpose of conducting this study is to introduce the Web-based applications
technologies that features various benefits such as improving information sharing among users
in dispersed locations and facilitate quick response to information queries, updates, reports and
many other processes. And the final objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive
prototype of Web-based Student Information Management System.
1.4
Project Scope
The project will be focusing on managing students' records in few schools around Maran
district. The selected schools are and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jengka Pusat (2),
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (LKTP) Jengka 16 and Sekolah Menengah (LKTP) Jengka 21.
The scope of the project will be narrowed into some functional areas such as introducing
online registrations, students' co-curriculum enrollments, students' subject selection, students'
discipline records and students' attendance records. This Web-based information system will be
developed using MySQL as the relational database management system as weil as PHP as the
programming language and Apache as the Web server.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0
introduction
This chapter will discuss about the comparison between conventional files or file
processing approach and databases approach. This includes the database's definition, its
evolution, introduction to the Web-based applications and the concept of Student Management
System. This chapter will also discuss about the tools used in developing the Student
Management System, which are the MySQL, PHP and the Apache Web server.
2.1
File-Processing Approach versus Database Processing Approach
In the file environment, data storage is built around the applications that will use the
files. In the database environment, applications will be built around the integrated database
(Whitten & Bentley, 1998).
Accordingly, the database is not necessarily dependent on the
applications that will use it. In other words, given a database, new applications can be built to
share that database. Each environment has its advantages and disadvantages.
2.1.1
The Pros and Cons of File-Processing Approach
In most organizations, many or most existing information systems and
applications are built around conventional files (Whitten & Bentley, 1998). The first
business information systems stored groups of records in separate files and were called
file-processing systems (Kroenke, 1998).
Conventional files are relatively easy to design and implement because they are
normally based on a single application or information system (Whitten & Bentley, 1998).
One will only have to understand the end-user's output needs for that system, and then
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can easily determine the data that will have to be captured and stored to fulfill those
needs and define the best file organization for those requirements.
Historically, another advantage of using this approach is the processing speed.
According to Whitten and Bentley (1998), with file-processing approach, they can be
optimized for the access of a single application. At the same time, they can rarely be
optimized for shared use by different tasks in an application, or different applications.
Although file-processing systems are a great improvement over manual recordkeeping systems, they have important limitations. One of the limitations as discussed by
Kroenke (1998) and Connolly and Begg (1999) is separation and isolation of data. It is
more difficult to access data that should be available when data is isolated in separate
files.
According to Connolly and Begg (1999), the application programmer must
synchronize the processing of two files to ensure the correct data is extracted. This
difficulty is compounded if we require data from more than two files.
The next disadvantage of using the conventional approach is duplication of
data.
Due to the decentralized approach taken by each department, the file-based
approach encouraged, if not necessitated, the uncontrolled duplication of data
Uncontrolled duplication of data is undesirable for several reasons. For instance, the
data duplication is wasteful (Kroenke, 1998, Connolly & Begg, 1999). It costs time and
money to enter data more than once. Furthermore, it takes up additional storage space,
again with associated costs. Often, the duplication of data can be avoided by sharing
data files. The other reason is that duplication of data can lead to loss of data integrity,
where the data is no longer consistent. When results are inconsistent, the credibility of
the stored data, and even the MIS function itself, comes into question.
The data dependence issue is also one of the file-processing system's
limitations.
With file-processing, application programs depend on the file formats.
Usually in file-processing systems the physical formats of files and records are part of
the application code (Kroenke, 1998). Moreover, Whitten and Bentley (1998), Kroenke
(1998), and Connolly and Begg (1999) agreed that problems would occur when changes
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are made in the file formats, the application programs also must be changed, which is
more difficult to implement.
Incompatible file formats also becomes the limitation of this conventional file
approach. One of the consequences of program data dependency is that file formats
depend on the language or product used to generate them. As a result, files cannot be
readily combined or compared.
Any conversion of files to a common structure to
combine records would be more time-consuming and, sometimes, difficult.
Such
problems grow worse as the number of files to be combined increases.
Last but not least, the file-processing approach makes it difficult to represent
data in the users' perspectives.
This difficulty arises because with file processing,
relationships among records are not readily represented or processed. Therefore, it is
difficult to show data in a form that seems natural to users, where additional efforts are
needed to extract, combined and present different files together.
2.1.2
The Pros and Cons of Database Processing Approach
Database technology was developed largely to overcome the limitations of file-
processing systems.
File-processing systems directly access files of stored data. In
contrast, database-processing systems use the Database Management System (DBMS)
to access the stored data.
This difference is significant because it makes the
application-programming job easier; that is, application programmers do not have to be
concerned with the ways in which data are physically stored (Kroenke, 1998).
The first advantage of using database-processing system is data integration. In
a database system, all the application data is stored in a single facility called the
database. An application program can ask the DBMS to access customer data or sales
data or both (White, 2001). If both are needed, the application programmer specifies
only how the data are to be combined, and the DBMS will perform the necessary
operations to do it.
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Next advantage is the control of data redundancy.
The database approach
attempts to eliminate the redundancy by integrating the files so that several copies of the
same data are not stored (Connolly & Begg, 1999). However, the database approach
does not eliminate redundancy entirely, but controls the amount of redundancy inherent
in the database. Furthermore, by eliminating or controlling redundancy, the risk of data
inconsistencies will be reduced and data integrity will be improved.
Moreover, Kroenke (1998) and Whitten and Bentley (1998) mentioned that
database-processing systems reduce the dependency of programs on file formats. All
record formats are stored in the database itself, and they are accessed by the DBMS,
not by application programs.
Unlike file-processing programs, database application
programs need not include the format of all the files and records they process. Instead,
application programs must contain only a definition of each of the data items they need
from the database.
Program or data independence minimizes the impact of data format changes on
application programs. Whenever data items are added, changed, or deleted from the
database, only those programs that used these particular data items have to be
modified. This can be considerable savings of time. Lastly, the database technology
makes it possible to represent, in a straightforward fashion, the objects found in the
user's world (Kroenke, 1998, Connolly & Begg, 1999). Any desired forms that meet
users' requirements can be easily generated from a database because the relationships
among the records of data are stored as part of the database (Kroenke, 1998).
However, database-processing approach also has its disadvantages. Whitten
and Bentley (1998) and Connolly and Begg (1999) agreed that the database technology
is more complex than file technology. Special software, called a Database Management
System (DBMS), is required. Failure to understand the system can lead to bad design
decisions, which can have serious consequences for an organization. Other than that,
the complexity and breadth of functionality makes the DBMS an extremely large piece of
software.
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The database technology also demands a significant investment. The cost of
developing databases is higher because analysts and programmers must learn how to
use the DBMS. And, they must also adhere to rigorous design principles to achieve the
benefits of database technology.
Another potential problem with the database-processing approach is the
increased vulnerability inherent in the use of shared data. Backup and recovery as well
as security and privacy become important issues in the world of databases.
2.2
The Definition of Database
In general, all information systems create, read, update and delete data And, this data
is stored in files and databases. According to Whitten and Bentley (1998), files are defined as
collections of similar records. Whereas, databases are defined as collections of interrelated
files.
Furthermore, Kroenke (1998) described database as "a self-describing collection of
integrated records".
Whitten and Bentley (1998) added that a database is not merely a collection of files,
which means that the records in each file must allow for relationships to the records in other
files.
Moreover, Connolly and Begg (1999) described database, as a collection of logically
related data and a description of data, where it is designed to meet the information needs of an
organization.
2.3
The Web-based Applications
Once you have been told on using the Web to get information to and from your visitors,
someone will no doubt urge you to move a lot of that information into a database. That is a good
advice; because databases are designed to handle the storage and retrieval of constantly
updated information, they let you incorporate data that changes a lot, such as e-commerce
transactions, into your Web site without making the site as slow as molasses. Furthermore,
according to Jepson (2001), using a database as your Web site's back end can surely separates
your ever-changing data from the look and feel of your site.
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