Previous Weeks in the Database Course

This file will contain the week-to-week reading and lecture schedules.  At the end of the week the "this week" will be modified to reflect what actually happened and will be appended to this file.

Week 1: Monday, Jan 21

• Topics:
  • Introduction
• Reading assignment:
  • Date chapters 1, 2
• PowerPoint Slides:
  • Intro.ppt

Monday

• Martin Luther King Day:  No classes

Tuesday:

• Introduction to the course

Thursday

• Some history and terms
• Why use a database system?

Friday:

• Some history and terms
• Why use a database system?

Week 2: Monday, Jan. 28

• Topics:
  • Data Models
  • Relational Algebra I
  • Introduction to Oracle
  • Introduction to SQL
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 3, 4
  • Sunderraman, Chapters 1, 2
• PowerPoint Slides
  • DataModels.ppt

Monday

• Introduction to File Organizations and Access Methods (survey only)

Tuesday:

• Database Models
• The Hierarchical Model

Thursday:

• Database Models: The Network/CODASYL model

Friday:

• Introduction to the relational model

• Topics:
  • The Relational Algebra (basics)
  • Introduction to Oracle
  • Introduction to SQL
  • Introduction to top-down design using entity-relationship diagrams
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 4
  • Sunderrammen, Chapter 2
• PowerPoint Slides
  • EasyAlg.ppt
  • SQL01.ppt

Monday

• The relational algebra
• Relational Algebra I: EasyAlg
• Exercise Set #1: A short EasyAlg exercise

Tuesday:

• Introduction to Oracle
• Introduction to SQL

Thursday:

• More on SQL

Friday:

• An introduction to Entity-relationship diagrams
• Who is E. F. Codd?
• An introduction to relational theory
  • References:
    • Chapter 3 through 3.4
    • Chapter 5 through 5.3
    • Theory.ppt in last year's slides

Week 4: Monday, Feb. 11

• Topics:
  • Introduction to top-down design using entity-relationship diagrams
  • Introduction to Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 4, 13
  • Sunderrammen, Chapter 2
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Design01.ppt
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • Material on the relational theory discussed at the end of Friday's lectuer can be found in
    • Chapter 3 through 3.4
    • Chapter 5 through 5.3
    • Theory.ppt in last year's slides

Monday

• Introduction to entity-relationship diagrams

Tuesday:

• Moving from an entity-relationship diagram to a relational schema

Thursday:

• Some Oracle DDL basics
  • Creating tables
  • Constraints

Friday:

• A first database design and implementation exercise.

Other Notes:

• The first hour exam will be next week

Week 5: Monday, Feb. 18

• Topics:
  • Introduction to the group project
  • Introduction to Oracle Tools
  • More on SQL
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 4, 13
  • Sunderrammen, Chapter 2
• PowerPoint Slides
  • SQL01.ppt
  • SQL02.ppt
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports

Monday

• Introduction to the group project.

Tuesday:

• Insert/ Update / Delete
• The database loader

Thursday:

• Review for first hour exam

Friday:

• Hour Exam #1

Week 6: Monday, Feb. 25

• Topics:
  • Introduction to Oracle Tools
  • More on SQL
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 4, 10, 11 (skim 10, concentrate on 11 through BCNF)
  • Sunderrammen, Chapter 2
• PowerPoint Slides
  • SQL02.ppt
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • DESIGN02.PPT

Monday

• Create / drop / insert demo
• database loader demo
• report writer demo
• discussion of exam #1

Tuesday:

• Some more Oracle DDL basics
  • Creating Views
  • Creating Indexes (and when to do that)
  • An exercise
• Project proposals due

Thursday:

• Creating Views
• Some basics of the Oracle data dictionary
• Bottom up (forms based) database design and an introduction to data normalization.

Friday:

• No class (Columbia History of Science seminar)

Other Notes:

Week 7: Monday, Mar. 4

• Topics:
  • Introduction to Oracle Tools
  • Bottom-up design
• Reading:
  • Date, Chapters 9, 10, 11 (skim 10, concentrate on 11 through BCNF)
  • Sunderrammen, Chapter 4
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • DESIGN02.PPT

Monday

• Overview of the bottom-up design process
• Example:  UPS registration form

Tuesday:

• Demo:  Joining a table with itself (tuple variables / aliasing tables)
• Functional dependencies
• Data Normalization
• Example

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• The registration form example revisited:  Decompose into BCNF

Other Notes:

• Because of  doctor's appointments, I will not be able to meet office hours Tuesday or Thursday.  Please check with me for an appointment if you need to see me.  I apologize for the inconvenience.

Week 8: Monday, Mar. 11

• Topics:
  • More on SQL
  • PL/SQL
  • Introduction to Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Sunderrammen, Chapters 2, 3,  4 (skim chapter 3, concentrate on 4)
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • SQL03.PPT

Monday:

• Project Status Reports 
• Combining top-down and bottom-up design
• Some more on reports and forms (demo)
• More SQL
• Requirements Document Due

Tuesday:

• More SQL

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• No class (Unexpected medical appointment)
• Requirements documents returned to class (with many thanks to Jerry)
• Introduction to PL/SQL
• SQL DDL exercise due (Exercise set #4 - again thanks to Jerry for picking these up)

Other Notes:

•  The second hour exam will be in the week following Spring Break.

Week 9: Monday, Mar. 25

(Spring Break was Monday, Mar 18)

• Topics:
  • PL/SQL
  • Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Sunderrammen, Chapters 2, 3,  4 (skim chapter 3, concentrate on 4)
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • SQL03.PPT
  • PGMINTERFACES.PPT
  • PLSQL.PPT (to be added)

Monday:

• No class (instructor ill)
• Group Work Day

Tuesday:

• More SQL
• EXISTS/NOT EXISTS and universal quantification

Thursday:

• More on universal quantification
• Review for Exam #2

Friday:

• Exam #2

Other Notes:

•  The preliminary design document is due Friday of next week.

Week 10: Monday, April 1

• Topics:
  • PL/SQL
  • Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Sunderrammen, Chapters 2, 3,  4 (skim chapter 3, concentrate on 4)
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • PGMINTERFACES.PPT
  • PLSQL.PPT (to be added)

Monday:

• More on SQL
  • Built-in functions
  • Aggregation / Group By / Having
  • Null values
  • Outer Joins

Tuesday:

• The Story So Far
  • Data Models
  • Relational Database Model
  • Design
• Coming up next
  • Programming interfaces and Oracle Tools
  • More Theory
  • More on SQL
• Introduction to PL/SQL
• Return of exam (I hope)

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• Programming Language Interfaces I:  PL/SQL
• A brief survey of PL/SQL
• Preliminary Design Document due

Other Notes:

Week 11: Monday, April 8

• Topics:
  • PL/SQL
  • Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Sunderrammen, Chapters 2, 3,  4 (skim chapter 3, concentrate on 4)
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • PGMINTERFACES01.PPT
  • TOOLS01.PPT (to be added)

Monday:

• More on PL/SQL
• Cursors
• Procedure Builder

Tuesday:

• Procedure Builder
• Formatting in the Report Writer
• Intro to Forms 6i
  • Creating a simple form
  • Using a form for queries

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• Discussion of SQL homework

Other Notes:

• Design document due next Friday

Week 12: Monday, April 15

• Topics:
  • PL/SQL
  • Oracle Tools
• Reading:
  • Sunderrammen, Chapters 2, 3,  4 (skim chapter 3, concentrate on 4)
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Oracle instructional pages on forms and reports
  • PGMINTERFACES01.PPT
  • PGMINTERFACES02.PPT (to be added)
  • TOOLS01.PPT (to be added)
  • TOOLS02.PPT (to be added?)

Monday:

• More on forms
  • Integrity constraints
  • Use of triggers
  • Buttons and the like

Tuesday:

• List Of Values
• Parameters in reports

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• Building Applications in Oracle

Other Notes:

Week 13: Monday, April 22

• Topics:
  • Theory
• Reading:
  • Date Chapters 6, 7
  • Relational Algebra Documentation
• PowerPoint Slides
  • THEORY.PPT

Monday:

• Formal relational query languages
  • The Relational Calculus
  • The Relational Algebra

Tuesday:

• The relational algebra

Thursday:

• Group work day (no class)

Friday:

• What makes a relational database relational?
• Where is this going?
• Object Oriented Database Systems
• Schedule for final group presentations

Other Notes:

• The third hour exam will be Tuesday of next week (please note that this is the last full week of the term)
• Project Presentations will begin next Friday. A schedule for presentations will be posted this week (Friday).