Question

ACCT 3060 – AIS accounting information system

Homework #2 – Databases

We’ve discussed the purpose and general structure of a database. You should be familiar with this information and its application to an accounting information system (AIS). We’ve also identified how a database would be central to an AIS.

Your assignment is to identify one commercially available database and describe the key features and functions of it. Your description should be one page in length and provide a full description of the database product and what its functions provide to the user.

Answer 1

A database is a collection of information that is organized in tables and stored on a computer system. This information can be updated or modified as required. We can also say it’s like a room in an office which has files in it. If we don’t have a defined process we will not know how to get that data from the room.

MS- Access

MS- Access was developed by miscrosoft and it is a computer based application that is used to create and maintain computer based database on desktop computers. This can be used for personal use and for small business that needs a database. It stores information in its own format that is based on jet database engine and it used a graphical user interface that makes it easier to work.

Key Features:

1. Ideal for individual users and smaller teams
2. Easier than client-server database to understand and use
3. Import and export to other Microsoft Office and other applications
4. Ready templates for regular users to create and publish data
5. Allows building and publishing Web databases effortlessly
6. A user friendly feature ‘Tell Me’ for assistance
7. Allows developers to create custom solutions using VBA code
8. Hide/Show option for Ribbon
9. Allows users to Report View Eliminates Extra Reports
10. Allows output Reports in PDF format
11. Data entry
12. Import & Export
13. Reports & Queries
14. Access provides a user-friendly forms interface that allows users to enter information in a graphical form and have that information transparently passed to the database.
15. Tell Me Function
16. Modernized Templates
17. Large Dialogue Box etc.

String Functions
Asc	LTrim
Chr	Mid
Concat with &	Replace
CurDir	Right
Format (with Strings)	RTrim
InStr	Space
InstrRev	Split
LCase	Str
Left	StrComp
Len	StrConv
Trim	StrReverse

Numeric/Math Functions
Abs	Int
Atn	Max
Avg	Min
Cos	Randomize
Count	Rnd (random number)
Exp	Round
Fix	Sgn
Format (with Numbers)	Sqr
Val	Sum

Date/Time Functions
Date	Hour
DateAdd	Minute
DateDiff	Month
DatePart	MonthName
DateSerial	Now
DateValue	Second
Day	Time
Format (with Dates)	TimeSerial
WeekdayName	TimeValue
Year	Weekday

Domain Functions
DAvg	DLast
DCount	DLookup
DFirst	DMax

Information Functions
CurrentUser	IsDate
Environ	IsNull