Aim
The course gives basic theoretical and practical knowledge about database systems and their organisation. The emphasis is on relational databases.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to describe information systems with E/R models and UML notation, and translate such models into relational form

• be able to normalise database schemas

• be able to use the query language SQL to create and update a database, and to retrieve information from the database

• know about alternative ways to organise data in databases and about the design of database management systems.

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to use tools to implement a database

• be able to develop program and web interfaces to databases.

Contents

• Introduction to database management systems. The basics of the relational model, the query language SQL. Methods for data modelling and database design, E/R and UML diagrams. Theory of relational databases: functional dependencies, normalization, relational algebra. Programmable SQL, triggers. Program and web interfaces to databases

• Other data models: object-oriented databases, object-relational databases, semistructured data (XML)

• Security and integrity in databases, concurrency, transactions. An orientation about implementation of database managers and of query languages.

Literature
Thomas Padron-McCarthy, Tore Risch: Databasteknik. Studentlitteratur 2005. ISBN: 9789144044491.