How are databases organised, and what is the difference between a flat file and a relational database?
The purpose of a database, the terms table, record, field and key, the difference between flat-file and relational databases, and the idea of a distributed system.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Computer Science Unit 1 content on databases, covering what a database is, the terms table, record, field and primary key, the difference between a flat-file and a relational database and why relational reduces data duplication, and the idea of a distributed system.
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What this topic is asking
WJEC wants you to know what a database is, the terms table, record, field and key, the difference between flat-file and relational databases, and the idea of a distributed system. This is part of the Organisation and structure of data content in Unit 1 of WJEC GCSE Computer Science (3500).
What a database is
The key database terms
Flat-file and relational databases
Distributed systems
Try this
Q1. State what a primary key is. [1 mark]
- Cue. A field with a unique value that identifies each record.
Q2. Give one advantage of a relational database over a flat-file database. [1 mark]
- Cue. It reduces data duplication (so updates are easier and data is more consistent).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC-style Unit 14 marksExplain the terms table, record, field and primary key as used in a database.Show worked answer →
A Unit 1 database-terms question. A table is a collection of related data organised into rows and columns (1 mark). A record is a single row in the table, holding all the data about one item or person (1 mark). A field is a single column, holding one piece of data of the same kind for every record (such as "surname") (1 mark). A primary key is a field that holds a unique value to identify each record so that no two records can be confused (for example a pupil ID) (1 mark). Markers reward all four terms correctly explained. A common error is to swap record and field, or to say a primary key can have duplicate values.
WJEC-style Unit 14 marksDescribe the difference between a flat-file database and a relational database, and give one advantage of a relational database.Show worked answer →
A Unit 1 database question. A flat-file database stores all the data in a single table (1 mark). A relational database stores data in two or more linked tables that are related using key fields (1 mark). An advantage of a relational database is that it reduces data duplication (redundancy), because shared data is stored once in its own table and linked to, rather than repeated in every record (1 mark); this also makes the data easier to update and less likely to become inconsistent (1 mark). Markers reward single table versus multiple linked tables and a clear advantage such as less duplication. A common error is to say a flat file uses several tables, which describes a relational database.
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