CS 338: Computer Applications in Business: Databases

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Textbook

The recommended textbook for the course is:

Some copies of the book are on reserve in the DC library (call numbers are UWD 1516, QA76.9 D3E57 2007, and QA76.9 D3E57 2011).

The course notes in the following table are complementary to the lectures; they are not meant to replace the lectures. The textbook provides additional material to the course notes.

Schedule and Course Notes (by week of classes)

The following represents the intended lecture schedule. It may change as the term progresses.

It would help if you read the relevant material before the lecture; it is highly likely that I will not be covering everything in the book and lectures may go beyond the book.

  1. 09/15-17:
    Introduction to the Course, Introduction to Database Management Ch. 1 (Ch. 1),
    The Relational Data Model: data model, query languages Ch. 3 (Ch. 5)
  2. 09/22-24:
    no class: I'm presenting my research at the TABLEAUX 2015 conference.
  3. 09/29-01:
    More on the relational model: safe queries and integrity constraints, discussion of solutions to A1,
    Introduction to SQL (board 1, board 2)
  4. 10/06-08:
    More on SQL
  5. 10/13-15:
    discussion of solutions to A2 and REVIEW for midterm 1
    MIDTERM 1 (10/15) (exam solutions will be discussed in next class)
  6. 10/20-22:
    SQL with duplicates and NULL values Sec. 4.3.2, 5.1.2-5.1.9 (Sec. 8.4.2, 8.5.2-8.5.9),
    Application Development and SQL Sec. 5.1.1, 5.1.6 (Sec. 8.5.1, 8.5.6)
  7. 10/27-29:
    Introduction to ER Modeling Ch. 8 (Ch. 4)
  8. 11/03-05:
    ER to Relational Mapping SQL Data Definition, Views, and Security Sec. 15.1-15.2, 15.5 (Sec. 10.1-10.2, 10.5)
    Dependencies and Normal Forms Sec. 2.2, 5.3 (Sec. 2.2, 8.8), Ch. 9 (Ch. 7), Ch. 24 (Ch. 23)
  9. 11/10-12:
    discussion of solutions to A3 and REVIEW for midterm 2
    MIDTERM 2 (11/12) (exam solutions will again be discussed in next class)
  10. 11/17-19:
    Query/Update Execution Ch. 19 (Ch. 15) Database Tuning
  11. 10/24-26:
    Concurrent Access to Data and Transactions Ch. 21 (Ch. 17)
  12. 12/01-03:
    Data Integration and Advanced Topics, discussion of solutions to A4 and REVIEW for final exam