CS 445: Introduction to Database Systems

Introduction

An introduction to both the theory and application of Database Management Systems. Topics covered will include database design including normalization and optimization, the relational model, security, transaction management, and the query language SQL. Distributed and web architectures will be discussed. All topics in the course will be implemented concretely using a modern DBMS.

Topics

Database Projects

This course will consist of two data base programming projects. The first, the Gradebook Assignment, will require the student to add a few tables to a database provided by the instructor. The student will also need to produce a set of SQL queries to process the data. The second assignment will require the student to design a database from the ground up. This includes producing documenation, not limited to ER diagrams, describing the database and its implementation. This database will need a web interface. We will discuss how to do this with PHP and the Apache webserver in class, but the student may choose any web interface. This assignment will be broken down into various milestones. Each milestone will be worth some percent of the final grade of the project. At the end of the semester each student will need to present his or her database project to the class. This should be a presentation of between 7 and 10 minutes describing the data and relationships in the database as well as a demonstration of the Web GUI.

All practical database work will need to be done using MySQL 5.0 Community Server. This is a free download. All projects are individual projects, do not allow any other student see your source code.

Details on how to submit each assignment will be specified later.

Academic Dishonesty

The cheating policy is defined in Pacific Stuff & the Pacific Catalog as well as the Academic Policy that each of you signed upon entering Pacific University. Be sure you read or reread this policy carefully. All code written for our course is to be an original design and an original implementation. The Web, textbooks, and any other references are simply references for you. Copying source code from any source is prohibited.

Further, source code is not to exchange hands in any form or by any medium except when sending your solutions to the instructor. It is OK to share high level ideas during the design phase, share information dealing with OS issues, debugger issues, in general, development issues that do not involve code writing.

Specific solutions to homework problems should not be discussed with any other students. The solutions should be an individual effort unless otherwise specified on the assignment. As with coding, high level concepts can be discussed. However, do not discuss specific homework problems or solutions.

If you have any question as to whether or not what you are about to do constitutes cheating, ask the instructor.

Course Policies

• Assignments are to be submitted, electronically and as a hard copy, by 1 pm on the day in which they are due (unless otherwise specified).  Late assignments will not be accepted. Start your assignments early. While no C or C++ code will be required in this class, SQL queries can take much longer than you think to write. You may turn each assignment exactly once.
• Grade Complaints: If you have a complaint regarding a grade on an assignment, exam, or homework, write a one paragraph description of why you feel the grade is incorrect and deliver it to the instructor. The paragraph must be delivered to the instructor within one calendar week of when the graded material is returned to the student.
• Quizzes: A number of unannounced, open-notes quizzes will be given during the semester.
  
• No early or late exams/finals will be given.
• No incompletes will be given.
• All code in any form generated from this course becomes the intellectual property of Pacific University. You may not share this code with anyone without obtaining written permission from Pacific University.
• Neither computer failure, software failure, nor lack of computer access are accepted as excuses for late programs; therefore, start work on the programs as soon as they are assigned, don't put them off until the last minute. Further, corruption of programs due to bad disk media is also not accepted as an excuse for late programs; therefore, always keep a current backup of all programs on a separate disk.
• The instructor reserves the right to raise or lower a student's grade based on class participation and attendance.
• I do not want to hear any electronic devices go off during lecture; therefore, make sure you silence these devices before lecture starts.
• Class starts promptly at 1 pm. Your attendance is expected at each class meeting. It is in your own best interest to attend class, as your grade will almost certainly suffer indirectly if you choose not to attend. In addition, I reserve the right to consider attendance in instances of borderline grade assignments. Of course, excused absences (sickness, family emergencies, varsity athletic participation) will not be held against you. Scheduled absences should be communicated to me well in advance. If you must miss a class, be sure to check with me or another student to get what you missed. Exams will be given in class on the day scheduled and may not be made up. The material in the course is, by necessity, cumulative. Be warned that if you fall behind, you will not be able to catch up easily.
• If you have a documented disability covered under the ADA then services and accommodations are available from LSS (Learning Support Services). If you need reasonable accommodations to fully participate in course activities or meet course requirements, you must contact Edna K. Gehring, Director of LSS , at X2107. She will meet with you, review the documentation of their disabilities, and discuss the services Pacific offers.

Resources

Textboox -- Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition, Ramakrishnan & Gehrke

Apachefriends http://www.apachefriends.org/en/index.html

PHP-MySQL Tutorial http://www.php-mysql-tutorial.com/

Web Database Application with PHP and MySQL, 2nd Edition http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/0596005431

OpenOffice.org -- Base http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html

MySQL 5.0 Community Server http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html#downloads

Visio Web GUI Template http://www.guuui.com/issues/02_07.php

Planned Exam Dates