Three clients, three problems
A cafe owner wants to see this week's takings. A school wants its 2,000 pupil records kept safe and shared by 40 staff. A club wants to test three subscription prices.
One tool will not suit all three. Your job is to choose, and to give a reason.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Database software | software that stores linked tables and answers questions about them |
| Spreadsheet software | software that shows data in cells with formulas that recalculate |
| Suitable | a good fit for the size, the users and the job |
| CSV | a text file with one row per line and commas between columns |
| Export | save data out of one program into a file |
| Import | load data from a file into a program |
| Judgement | a choice with a reason, weighing good and bad points |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say how a database and a spreadsheet work together, and judge which suits a problem, with reasons.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
How the two work together
The tools are partners, not rivals. A database holds the data safely. A text file such as a CSV carries a copy out. A spreadsheet loads it for charts and what-if work.
Results can travel back too. The data moves by export and import.
Questions to ask when choosing
| Question | Points to a database | Points to a spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| How much data? | Thousands of rows or more | A few hundred rows |
| How many users? | Many, at the same time | One or two |
| How long will it be kept? | Years, with a history | A one-off job |
| Is data linked? | Many linked tables | One flat table |
| What is the output? | Reports from queries | A chart or a what-if |
| How bad is a mistake? | Costly: rules needed | Cheap: easy to redo |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: pick for each client
Have a go
Check: pick for each client
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.