5. When would using a personal DBMS

5. When would using a personal DBMS make sense?

a. When working on a smaller database for personal use, or when disconnected from the network.

6. What is the difference between a spreadsheet and a database? List three differences between them.

a. A database is generally more powerful and complex than a spreadsheet, with the ability to handle

multiple types of data and link them together. Some differences: A database has defined field types, a

spreadsheet does not. A database uses a standardized query language (such as SQL), a spreadsheet

does not. A database can hold much larger amounts of data than a spreadsheet.

7. Describe what the term normalization means.

a. To normalize a database means to design it in a way that: 1) reduces duplication of data between

tables and 2) gives the table as much flexibility as possible.

8. Why is it important to define the data type of a field when designing a relational database?

a. A data type tells the database what functions can be performed with the data. The second important

reason to define the data type is so that the proper amount of storage space is allocated for the data.