HW#1 --- last modified March 02 2019 17:04:51..

Solution set.

Due date: Sep 10

Files to be submitted:
  ertables.pdf
  ertables.mdb
  harddrive.pdf

Purpose: To refresh our memories about CS 157A as well as to gain experience in requirement gathering. To experiment a little with Microsoft Access.

Specification:

Although for the most part, it is assumed you are already familiar with ER diagrams and the relational model, Chapters 2 and 3 from the book can be scanned for a quick refresher.

For this homework you are to consider the problem of creating a personal digital library for yourself. This library should be able to store at least the following things: tax records, legal documents, blog entries (web log entries -- like a diary), articles you may have read and scanned, e-books, music (say mp3's), and movies. You should also consider which people you know should have access to your library and to what parts. Be aware that in the future it might be useful to allow digital agents to have access to some of your data. These latter considerations are supposed to force you to consider relationships between your data and who will use it. Come up with an ER diagram to organize for you library. Then step by step use the algorithm of Section 3.5 to translate your diagram into the relational model. Be sure to indicate keys and foreign keys. Submit your ER diagram and your translation work in the file ertables.pdf. Make sure to keep this file size as small as possible say under 1Mb, otherwise you won't be able to submit. If you don't know how to create PDF documents you can either use Acrobat or you can follow the instructions off the My Guidelines/Templates link from my master's students pages (available off my homepage).

Now implement your tables together with primary and foreign key constraints in Microsoft Access (2000 or less, so grader can grade it). Submit this as ertables.mdb.

Finally, consider the problem of how big a hard drive you need to store all of the data you will put in your library in your whole lifetime. For each of the kinds of items you intend to store estimate the size of a typical item. Then estimate how frequently you will need to store an item of that type. Take a guess of how long you will live (make it bigger than 30 years - no rock star burnouts, please). Based on these numbers calculate a minimal amount of storage that you expect to need. Submit your estimates and calculation as harddrive.pdf.

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