CCSU  Spring, 2001

Project 1: Using Microsoft Access 2000.

Course:		CS 460
Posting Date:   April 2, 2001
Due Date:       May 7, 2001

Description:

   This project is a simple HANDS ON project involving Microsoft Access 2000. 
There will be a SHORT project report (see the General Project Instructions -- 
PLEASE, only one project report per team), and your team will give me a VERY 
SHORT 10 minute demonstration (again, see the General Project Instructions).  

   Many of you already are experts at using Access 2000, but for those who are 
not there is A Quick Microsoft Access 2000 Tutorial posted on the course Web 
page.  Go through it, and you will learn all you need to know to complete this 
project.

   Though Microsoft Access is NOT synonymous with database systems, there are 
more copies of Microsoft Access in use than any other database system. It 
therefore behooves computer science students to be at least superficially 
familiar with MS Access. Furthermore, one of the best ways to further your 
understanding of database theory and practice is to examine and use a complete, 
well designed database.  The Northwind sample database, which comes with 
Microsoft Access 2000, is very well designed and quite complete, so it is a very
good database to examine.

What To Put In Your Report:

   In addition to the required title page, etc., your project report only needs 
to include a list of the relations (tables) in the Northwind sample database, 
presented with attributes as the text does.  For example, you would present the 
Categories table this way:

      Categories(CategoryID, CategoryName, Description, Picture)

   While this may seem childishly simple at first glance, if you think about it,
preparing your report will force you to view the design (and data too, I 
suggest) for each table.  It will also encourage you to think about the database
design decisions made by the designers of Northwind.  Finally, by viewing the
data, you will get a good feel for INTERNATIONALIZATION.  To give but one
example, the PostalCode fields are designed so they can hold British as well as 
American postal codes (we call them zip codes).

What to Include In Your Demonstration:

   1. Display an employee's photograph.

   2. Connect to a supplier's home page.

   3. Demonstrate the following queries, which are to be DESIGNED BY YOU USING 
THE MICROSOFT ACCESS QBE INTERFACE:

       a. List all non-discontinued products which need reordering (and have not
already been reordered in sufficient quantity).

       b. List all orders sent via Federal Shipping.  Include the customers' 
phone numbers.