CS125 Database Design

CS 125 -- Database Design
Fall, 2003
(last updated 11/26/2003)

Updates:

[11/26/2003] I have posted the form for your self-evaluations in CS125. You must complete these forms and turn them in on paper by class time Monday, December 8. (Note, if you do not submit this form, your self-evaluation score will be 0.)
[10/20/2003] This Friday, 10/24, class is meeting at my house for lunch from 12:45-1:50. You can come a bit early if you'd like to help but we'll have to clear out right at 1:50. We're at 769 Chelham. Go past the track and to the right of the track house and then walk through the gates of the Chelham corridor. At the other end of corridor, our house is just across the street and a bit to your left. Ask me if you're confused.
[10/15/2003] As we approach mid-term evaluation time, I am soliciting your comments and criticisms toward helping me improve the course during the second half. If you miss class on Wed, 10/15, please download this evaluation form, edit it with your suggestions and drop it in my mail slot or send it through campus mail. I greatly appreciate your suggestions and feedback.
[10/10/2003] Academic computing has a set of resource pages that describe expectations of various sorts that relate to computing. They would like you to be aware of these pages and would value your feedback.
[9/24/2003] There is a client to PostgreSQL, pgaccess, that is available on multiple platforms. You can find some information here. You can find pgaccess for other platforms here. If you want to try a different avenue, you can also go also get ODBC drivers here.

Professor:

Wayne Iba,
iba@westmont.edu,
http://homepage.westmont.edu/iba,
office: new Math and Computer Science Building,
phone: 565-6799

Office Hourse: TTh 10am-noon, W 2-3pm (or other times by arrangement)
Textbook:

A First Course in Database Systems (second edition), by Jeffrey D. Ullman & Jennifer Widom. Prentice Hall. (2002).

Time and place: MWF, 12:45-1:50 pm; MG 4

Official Syllabus (.sxw, .doc). (Tentative syllabus.)

Tentative class schedule including links to slide presentations for openoffice.org.

Beyond learning the theory behind Database Systems, we will be doing projects and smaller assignments using PostgreSQL, a relational database management system. Documentation for PostgreSQL can be found here. You will access PostgreSQL on servant.cs.westmont.edu via your preferred database client. Detailed instructions will be given in class. You must access it from an on-campus host. You are welcome to install and use PostgreSQL on your own machines but assigments and projects will be completed on the designated system.

The effort needed for the individual database project will probably be roughly evenly divided between database design, SQL coding, data collection and massaging, and web interface coding. Conventional wisdoms suggests that you select a project topic that relates to a personal interest. The project will be much more fun this way and you will probably learn more.

Acknowledgements: I have borrowed extensively from Professor Jeffrey Ullman's website at Stanford University and from Professor Arthur Keller's website at UC Santa Cruz. I have been mostly using the lecture slides available at Professor Ullman's website, with minor modifications.