SQA National 5 Computing Science: a complete overview of Database design and development
A deep-dive SQA National 5 Computing Science guide to Database design and development. Covers database analysis and design (tables, fields, field types, primary and foreign keys, validation) and implementation in SQL with SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE, plus testing and evaluation.
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Database design and development is examined in Section 2 of the National 5 Computing Science question paper (candidates attempt either this section or the Web section) and forms Task 2 of the coursework. It covers designing a relational database and using SQL to work with it. This guide maps both key areas; each has its own answer page with worked examples.
Database analysis and design
Analysis identifies the end-user requirements (what users need) and functional requirements (what the database must do). Design organises data into tables of fields, each with a suitable field type (text, number, date, time, Boolean). Each table needs a primary key that uniquely identifies every record, and foreign keys link tables by referring to another table's primary key. Validation (presence, restricted choice, field length and range checks) keeps entered data accurate.
SQL implementation
To search and sort, use SELECT (fields to show), FROM (the table), WHERE (the condition) and ORDER BY (the sort field, ASC or DESC). To change data, use INSERT (add a record), UPDATE ... SET ... WHERE (change matching records) and DELETE ... WHERE (remove matching records). The WHERE clause is essential on UPDATE and DELETE: without it, they affect every record.
Testing and evaluation
After building the SQL, the database is tested against its functional requirements - do queries return the right records in the right order, and do INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE change exactly the intended data? It is then evaluated for fitness for purpose, just like a program.
How Database design and development is examined
Expect to design tables with fields, field types and keys, choose and justify validation checks, and write or read SQL statements. The reliable marks come from keeping primary and foreign keys straight, listing exactly the fields a query asks for, writing correct WHERE conditions and ORDER BY directions, and never omitting WHERE on UPDATE or DELETE.
For the official course specification
The SQA publishes the full National 5 Computing Science course specification, specimen question papers and coursework tasks at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers.