Web Database Development

IS224

ASSIGNMENT 1

SEMESTER 2, 2014

TOPIC: WEB DATABASE DEVELOPMENT

NAME: HARSHAY PRAKASH SHANDIL

STUDENT ID: S11096647

TUTORIAL DAY & TIME: TUESDAY 4PM-6PM

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

Data tends to be one of the most vital assets to any organisation or even an individual. The way in which data is input, organised, stored, retrieved and used can be a costly and time consuming process. To avoid wastage of time and costs, a database is used to carry out the process. Databases are an essential aspect of modern life. A database is a collection of information related to a particular subject which is processed.  According to Li, Moselhi, and Alkass (2006), a database provides a platform to organise, store and retrieve the planned and actual set of information in a logical and efficient manner. A database is not considered to be useful if it is just used to store data as data could even be stored in simpler computerized word documents. This is where the power of databases comes into effect. A database is not only used to store data, instead the main reason as to why databases are used is to retrieve data. The database management system (DBMS) queries data which are stored in the database using structured query language (SQL) and generates reports on the needs of the user. For instance, if a University wants to find out the number of students who are left to do only two or three units of a particular course before they can get qualified to obtain a degree, a person with proper knowledge of databases can run a query which will look through the students’ record and present the required information to satisfy the information needs of the University.

Nowadays, it is recognisable that databases and the web are highly compatible. The web, also known as the World Wide Web, is the largest storage place for information which can be easily accessed throughout the world via the internet. At the minimum, it is composed of 11.5 billion indexed, interlinked pages from which a person can retrieve documents, run programs, listen to sound file, view images, animations and videos (Downes, 2007). Storing such vast amount of information and retrieving it easily and in a timely manner explains the need for databases in web pages. Usually, databases are not seen to be used in static web pages. Static web pages are web pages which do not change in content unless a new version of the page is uploaded in the web server. However, dynamic web pages, which are web pages that change in relation to the user interaction, tend to use databases and are referred to as database driven web pages. In these pages information are retrieved from databases and displayed on the web page so if there is a change in the information in the database, the change will be reflected on the web page.