Business Informatics - a Subfield of applied informatics, is an

interdisciplinary field combining Informatics and Business

Management. It deals with the design and application of
Information Systems in Business context.

Programming is … A process of Problem Solving

➢ Programming Language is … A set of Rules, Symbols, and
Special Words used to write a Computer Program.
➢ Computer Program is … A set of instructions for a
Data --- information – knowledge
Computer to Perform Various Operations.
➢ Computer Software is … The Collection of Programs used
by a Compute
➢ Algorithm is … A sequence of precise instructions which
leads to a Solution.
➢ Programming Paradigm is … A Style of Programming, a
Way of thinking about Software Systems Construction.
➢ Flowchart is a visual (graphical) representation of the
sequence of step-by-step solution and decisions (algorithm)
needed to perform a process.

The Software acts as an interface between the End-user and the

Computer.
 Analyze the Problem
1) Outline the problem and its requirements ⬡
Understand the problem ⬡ Understand problem
requirements ∙ Does program require user interaction? ∙
Does program manipulate data? ∙ What is the output? ∙
are all possible required cases handled? ⬡ If the
problem is complex, divide it into subproblems ∙ Analyze
each subproblem as above
2) Design Algorithm
❑ Flowcharts An algorithm graphical representation. 
Written as a combination of the following graphical
notations:

⬡ Pseudo-code:
// input ? The comment lines “//”
// function?
// Output?
Begin
<data definition>
<actions>
End
(Example 1) Convert a student mark from decimal mode to
ABC mode.
Understand problem requirements ∙
Is the problem statement complete and clear?
∙ Does program require user interaction? →Input the mark
∙ Does program manipulate data? → covert mark→ Control
Requirements (IF statement)
∙ What is the output? The mark converted to A or B or C or
error
Problem Solving Process. ∙ Is there subproblem? No
⬡ Phase 1 - Analyze the problem ∙ Outline the problem and its
requirements ∙ Design (algorithm) to solve the problem ( Flow
chart, pseudo code) ∙ Algorithm tracing ⬡ Phase 2 - Implement
the algorithm ∙ Implement the algorithm in code (in
Programming Language → Program) ∙ Verify that the algorithm
works ⬡ Phase 3 - Maintenance ∙ Use and modify the program if
the requirements change
➢ Database (DB): ▪ A Collection of Related Data. ➢ Mini-world: Instances and Schemas
▪ Some part of the real world about which data is stored in a ❑ Instance of the Database is the collection of information
database. For example, Student grades and transcripts at a stored in the database at a particular moment (Snapshot of
university. ➢ Database Management System (DBMS): ▪ A the data).
Software Package/System to facilitate the Creation and ❑ Database Schema is the Overall design of the database
Maintenance of a computerized database. ➢ Database System: (logical design). A schema is a collection of Objects (Entities)
(Database + DBMS) ▪ The DBMS Software together with the that provides a logical classification of objects in the
Data itself. Sometimes, the applications are also included. database. 1. Physical Database Schema: Describes the
Database Design at the Physical Level. 2. Logical
TABLE // RECORD = ROW // FIELD = COLUMN = ATTRIBUTE Database Schema: Describes the Database Design at
the Logical Level. 3. Subschema: Describes different
Data Abstraction For the System to be usable, it must retrieve views of the Database
data efficiently. The need for efficiency has led designers to use
Data Models
complex data structures to represent data in the database.
Since many database systems users are not computer trained, ❑ Data Model is a collection of conceptual tools for
developers hide the complexity from users through several describing data, relationship between data and constraints.
levels of abstraction, to simplify User’s interactions with the ❑ Data Models help in describing the structure of the
System. database

Data Abstraction in DBMS is a Process of hiding irrelevant The DATA MODELS can be classified into Four different
details from Users. Because database systems are made of Categories:
complex data structures. so, it makes accessible the user 1. Relational Model. 2. Entity Relationship Model. 3. Object
interaction with the database. Based Data Model. 4. Semi Structured Data Model.

1. Relational Model: The Relational Model uses a

collection of tables = (Relations) to represent both data
and the relationships among those data. ➢ Each table
(Relation) has multiple Columns, and each column has
a unique name. ➢ The Relational Model is an example
of a Record-Based Model. ➢ Record-Based Models are
so named because the database is structured in Fixed-
format Records = Tuples = Rows.
2. Entity Relationship Model: The Entity Relationship
Data Model (ERD) uses a collection of basic Entities
(Objects), and the relationships among these objects.
➢ An Entity is a “thing” or “object” in the real world that
1. Physical Level: The Lowest-Level of abstraction
is distinguishable from other objects. ➢ The ER Model
describes: ➢ How the data are actually Stored. ➢
is widely used in Database Design.
Complex low-level data structures in detail.
2. Logical Level: The Next Higher-Level of abstraction 3. Object Based Data Model: ➢ Object Oriented
describes: ➢ What data are stored in the database. ➢ Programming (Especially in Java, C++, or C#) has
What relationships exist among those data.(( Database become the dominant software development
Administrators, who must decide what information to keep
methodology. ➢ Object Oriented Data Model Extending
in the database, use the logical level of abstraction.))
the E-R model with notions of Encapsulation, Methods
3. View level: The Highest-Level of abstraction describes
Only Part of the entire Database to simplify the interaction (functions), Object identity. ➢ Combines features of the
between Users with the System (DB). ((Even though the Object-Oriented Data Model & Relational Data Model.
logical level uses simpler structures, complexity remains
4. Semi Structured Data Model: Specification of data
because of the variety of information stored in a large where individual data items of the same type may have
database. Many users of the database system do not need
different sets of attributes. ➢ Every data item of a
all this information; instead, they need to access only a
part of the database.)) particular type must have the same set of attributes. ➢
The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is widely used
Database Design to represent semi structured data.
❑ Database Systems are designed to Manage vast amount of
Transaction Management A transaction: is a collection of
data. ❑ Database Design mainly involves the Design of the
Operations that Performs a single logical function in a
Database Schema.
database application.
Data Storage and Querying Data Mining & IR
The Functional Components of a Database Systems can be ❑ Data Mining (DM) ➢ DM - is a Process of discovering
broadly divided into the Storage Manager and Query Processor knowledge from data also called Machine Learning or
components. ❑ Storage Manager is important because Statistical Analysis. ➢ DM attempts to discover rules and
database typically require a large amount of storage space. ❑ patterns from data; “Knowledge discovery in Databases”.
Query Manager is important because it helps the DB system to ❑ Information Retrieval (IR) ➢ IR - is a Software
simplify and facilitate access to data. Program/System that deals with the Organization, Storage,
Retrieval, and Evaluation of information from document
Classification of DBMS repositories; “Querying of unstructured textual data”.
❑ Database Management Systems can be Classified based on ##############################################ch2
Several criteria, such as: A data model is an integrated collection of concepts that
1. Classification Based on Data Model: represents real world objects, events, and their
➢ The most popular data model in use today is Relational Data relationships.
Model. Well known DBMSs like: Oracle, SQL Server, DB2 and Entity Relationship model is one of them.
My SQL. ➢ Other traditional models, such as: Hierarchical Data An entity-relationship model describes data in terms of the
Model and Network Data Models. ➢ In recent years, the newer following 1. Entities 2. Relationship between entities 3.
Object-Oriented Data Models were introduced. This model is a Attributes of entities
DBMS in which information is represented in the form of We graphically display an E-R model using an entity
Objects as used in OOP. (OODBMS) combine DB capabilities relationship diagram (or E-R diagram)
with OOP language capabilities.
2. Classification Based on User Numbers: E_R Model
➢ A DBMS can be classification based on the number of users it Entities An entity can be a person, a place, an object, an
supports. ❑ It can be a Single-User database system, which event, or a concept about which an organization wishes to
maintain data. Person: STUDENT, EMPLOYEE, CLIENT Object:
supports one user at a time. ❑ Multi-User database system,
COUCH, AIRPLANE, MACHINE Place: CITY, NATIONAL PARK,
which supports multiple users concurrently.
ROOM, WAREHOUSE Event: WAR, MARRIAGE, LEASE
3. Classification Based on Distribution: ➢ There are Four Concept: PROJECT, ACCOUNT, COURSE
main Distributed Systems for database systems, which It is important to understand the distinction between an
can be used to classify the DBMS. entity type, an entity instance, and an entity set. An entity
a. Centralized Systems. ((Database and DBMS are stored at a
type defines an entity that have attributes. An entity
Single Site that is used by Several Other Systems.))
instance is a single item in this collection. An entity set is a
b. Distributed Database Systems. ((The actual Database and
set of entity instances. Example: STUDENT is an entity type;
DBMS are distributed from different Sites that are connected
a student with ID number 555-55-5555 is an entity instance;
by a Computer Network.))
and a collection of all students is an entity set
c. Homogeneous Distributed Database Systems. ((use the Same
Components of Entity 1-An entity name should be a concise
DBMS software from Multiple Sites. Data exchange between
singular noun. An E-R diagram depicts an entity type using a
these various sites can be handled easily.))
rectangle with the name of the entity inside
d. Heterogeneous Distributed Database Systems.(( different
Sites might use different DBMS Software, but there is Types of entities ❖ strong entity types A strong entity type
additional common software to support data exchange exists independent of other entity types, ❖ weak entity
between these sites.)) types. A weak entity type depends on another entity type. In
#################################################ch2 the E-R diagram, a weak entity is indicated by a double-lined
Attributes Types: rectangle. The corresponding relationship diamond is also
1. Simple and Composite Attributes double-lined
((A simple or an atomic attribute, cannot be further divided into Attributes: An attribute is a property or characteristic of an
smaller components. A composite attribute, however, can be entity type that is of interest to an organization. Examples
divided into smaller subparts in which each subpart represents STUDENT = {Student ID, SSN, Name, Address, Phone, Email,
an independent attribute)) DOB} ORDER = {Order ID, Date of Order, Amount of Order}
2. Single-Valued and Multi-Valued Attributes ACCOUNT = {Account Number, Account Type, Date Opened,
((Single-Valued and Multi-Valued Attributes Most attributes Balance} CITY = {City Name, State, Population}
have a single value for an entity instance. A multi-valued How to name an attribute: 1. Each word in a name starts
attribute, on the other hand, may have more than one value for with an uppercase letter followed by lower case letters. 2. If
an entity instance. we denote a multi-valued attribute with a an attribute name contains two or more words, the first
double lined ellipse.)) letter of each subsequent word is also in uppercase, unless it
is an article or preposition, such as “a,” “the,” “of,” or
“about” Example: Name, DateofBirth, StutdentAge E-R
diagrams depict an attribute inside an ellipse and connect
the ellipse with a line to the associated entity type.
3. Stored and Derived Attributes
((The value of a derived attribute can be determined by
analyzing other attributes. For example, Age is a derived
attribute because its value can be derived from the current date
and the attribute Date of Birth. An attribute whose value cannot
be derived from the values of other attributes is called a stored
attribute. Derived attributes are depicted in the E-R diagram
with a dashed ellipse))
4. Key Attribute
((A key attribute (or identifier) is a single attribute or a
combination of attributes that uniquely identify an individual
instance of an entity type. No two instances within an entity set
can have the same key attribute value. We underline key
attributes in an E-R diagram /// Sometimes no single attribute
can uniquely identify an instance of an entity type. However, in
these circumstances, we identify a set of attributes that, when
combined, is unique for each entity instance. In this case the
key attribute, also known as composite key, is not a simple
attribute, but a composite attribute that uniquely identifies
each entity instance. In the E-R diagram, we underline each
attribute in the composite key))
### EXAMPLE
[Link]: Position
Attributes: 1. Position ID (unique identifier) 2. Position Title 3.
Salary
[Link]: Project
Attributes: 1. Project ID (unique identifier) 2. Project Name 3.
Start Date 4. End Date
[Link]: Skill
Attributes: 1. Skill ID (unique identifier) 2. Skill Name
### EXAMPLE
1. Entity: Address
Attributes: 1. Address ID (unique identifier) 2. Street 3. City 4.
State 5. Postal Code 6. Country
2. Entity: Education
Attributes: 1. Education ID (unique identifier) 2. Degree 3.
University 4. Year of Graduation
3. Entity: Certification
Attributes: 1. Certification ID (unique identifier) 2. Certification
Name 3. Certification Authority 4. Expiry Date