Databases and database management systems have been the backbone of enterprise computing for the past many years. The market is growing bigger in terms of size, and will continue to gain prominence in the coming years. With the consolidation, standardization and centralization of IT systems underway in most organizations, the demand for highly scalable and reliable database systems is on the rise. Earlier database management systems were used by only very large players such as the government, the banking, financial services and insurance sector, telecom, IT services, manufacturing, and the retail sector.

Reduced implementation costs, advancements in technology, growth of the e-business sector, and increased popularity of the Internet and WWW are the factors responsible for the increased used of database systems. The availability of databases and database management systems that is suited for small businesses to multinational organizations and the awareness about the advantages of database systems have made databases an integral part of every business enterprise irrespective of their size.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, where information is a strategic weapon, the demand for databases and database management systems is increasing exponentially. Organizations need skilled professionals to implement and manage their databases. The employees need to know the database basics to analyze the data and use it for effective decision-making. So, the demand for people with good knowledge of databases and database management systems is increasing and will continue to do so in the future.

This book is written with the objective of making you an expert in the fundamentals of database management systems.The book contains 37 chapters and one appendix (model question papers).

Databases and database management systems are one of the most important subjects for the computer science and information technology students. Probably, the only subject that is more important is Software Engineering. Both Software Engineering and Database Management Systems form what we call the core subjects of the Computer Science and IT courses. These are the two subjects that will help the students in their transition from the classroom to their careers.

The advantage of DBMS (and Software Engineering) is that these topics are generic and will not change. Yes, there will be new developments and new theories but to understand those theories and developments one need a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals.

This book is written with the objective of making you an expert in the essentials of database management systems. Our goal when we started writing this book was to produce a volume that will cover all the required topics to a level that is not overwhelming but enough to satisfy the needs of the target audience.

The book contains 33 chapters and 4 appendices. The last 3 appendices (Elements of the Graphical User Interface, Overview of PL/SQL and Introduction to MS-Access) can be downloaded from the companion web site of the book.

The Information Technology or IT is revolutionizing the way, in which we live and work. It is changing all aspects of our life and lifestyle. The digital revolution has given mankind the ability to treat information with mathematical precision, to transmit it at very high accuracy and to manipulate it at will. These capabilities are brining into being a whole world within and around the physical world. The amount of calculational power that is available to mankind is increasing at an exponential rate. Computers and communications are becoming integral parts of our lives.

A few decades back communications used to be between people-one person to another. But now inanimate objects are getting into the act-books can tell the cash registers how much they cost, identity cards can tell the door lock whether to open or not, automated guided vehicles can tell the host computer where they are in the shop floor and what they are carrying and when they will be free, missiles can compare the landscape with their own map and hit the target with pin-point precision, on the Internet people engage in lively chats and discussions, play games even if they are physically in different continents.

The changes mentioned above in computation and communication adds up to what is called the information revolution or IT revolution. To survive in this information world one must keep pace with these changes. This book is written to serve as an introduction to Information Technology. The book deals with the fundamental concepts, technologies and theories as well as advanced concepts and practical applications. The book starts with an introduction to computers and telecommunications and then later deals with the latest developments and technologies. This book also includes sections that will enable a person to perform basic tasks like using a word processor, an electronic spreadsheet or a presentation package.

The information technology is changing the way business is being done. The speed of change in today’s connected world is so high that many organizations are finding it difficult to cope with the changing business rules. The traditional methods of doing business are being replaced by newer, faster and innovative methods that were not thought possible a few years back.

This is the age of information explosion. Today people are suffering from information overload. When the decision-makers are bombarded with information, the information making process becomes slow and the quality of decisions will suffer. In today’s information age, information is a competitive weapon.

The information systems (IS) departments in today’s organizations play a vital role in collecting, collating, analyzing and getting relevant and accurate information to the decision makers at the right time. In this process the IS departments make use of the advancements of IT extensively.

This book-Introduction to Information Systems-explains how IT can help in building better and efficient Information Systems (IS) and how IT helps the modern IS departments to function more efficiently, accurately and effectively.

During the Machine Age, the measure of power was heavy iron typified by cannon, locomotives and rolling mills. In the Information Age, the measure of power is the depth, timeliness and accessibility of knowledge. Communication bandwidth has become more crucial than shop floor capacity. Without the ability to communicate by telephone, e-mail or fax an organization is deaf and dumb. Without access to the database, an organization is blind. Because every firm is now directly or indirectly reliant on computer software, every decision point in the enterprise is an interface point between workers and information systems. The alignment of the information flows with workflows distributed throughout an organization is known as enterprise computing.
In an information-intensive business environment, knowledge is power. Competitiveness pivots on how effectively information systems enable management and staff to gain advantages. The single most important requirement for commercial power is the ability to transform operational data into tactical information, and ultimately into strategic knowledge. The main resource that fuels this power is the corporate database.

This book introduces the fundamental concepts necessary for designing, using and implementing database systems and applications. This book assumes no previous knowledge of databases or database technology and the concepts are built from grounds-up-from the basic concepts to the advanced techniques and technologies. The book is self-contained and has a flexible organization to suit the needs of individual courses.

This book is meant to be used as a textbook in database systems at the undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate level (B.Sc., BCA, BE, B.Tech., M.Sc., MCA, ME, M. Tech., etc.) and as a reference book.

A question that might reasonably greet the appearance of yet another book on Database Systems is, does the world really need one more? Presumably every author writing on a well-covered topic believes he or she has something different to contribute, and we are no exception. Many of the books available on this subject are nothing short of excellent and most of them delve into topics and levels of analysis not addressed in this book.

Some of the books cover the topics in great depth and detail while others cover only the most important topics and that too in a very superficial manner. Obviously no single book on this subject can meet everyone’s needs, but many lie too close to either end of the spectrum to be really helpful. At the low end there are the superficial ones that leaves the readers confused or unsatisfied. Those at the high end cover the subject with such thoroughness as to be overwhelming.

Our goal when we started writing this book was to produce a volume that will cover all the required topics to a level that is not overwhelming but enough to satisfy the needs of our target audience and present the material in a clear and easy-to-understand style with real world examples and exercises.

In this book, we have tried to steer a middle course between too little and too much, covering the necessary topics in sufficient detail while avoiding an overly earnest one. We have included a lot of pedagogical features like review questions, exercises, case studies, solved examples, etc. Such a hands-on approach is often the most effective way of getting the knowledge to stick as it gives the reader a chance to reflect and refresh what he or she has learned.

We have tried to make this book as interesting and reader-friendly as possible. We have used an easy-to-read writing style, with a lot bulleted lists, tables and illustrations to make learning easy and enjoyable. We have also tried to explain the monotonous and dry topics like relational algebra, relational calculus, indexing, hashing, query processing, etc. in simple, clear and easy-to-understand language.

At the end of each chapter, there are review questions-descriptive, fill in the blanks, true or false and multiple choice questions-to help the readers test their knowledge. We have also included a list of books in each chapter (selected bibliography), for the readers who want to learn more about the topics covered in that chapter.

‘Access 2000 for Beginners’ is written for all who want to learn about Microsoft Access 2000, one of the most popular, powerful and easy-to-use relational database management systems that one can buy. This book is written in a step-by-step style to make the learning of the packages as easy as possible. The book contains all the information that you will need in getting started and learning the ropes of Access 2000. The chapter on Windows Me gives you an overview of the operating system. It also teaches you to perform the essential tasks you will need to use the Windows operating system. The chapter on Office 2000 gives you an overview of the Office 2000 suite of which Access 2000 is a member. If you are new to computers then read the book from the beginning, but if you are familiar with the Windows environment, you can skip the chapter on Windows Me.

The book uses the example of a bookstore to explain how Access 2000 could be used to accomplish the various tasks that one can accomplish using Access 2000-whether he/she is working for a big organization, running a small business or using the computer for personal purposes. We have tried to make the learning process easy by providing a lot of screen shots, real life examples, exercises, and so on. We hope that you will find this book very useful and will help you become more productive.

‘PowerPoint 2000 for Beginners’ is written for all who want to learn about Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, one of the best presentation packages that is available in the marketplace. This book is written in a step-by-step style to make the learning of the packages as easy as possible. The book contains all the information that you will need in getting started and learning the ropes of PowerPoint 2000. The chapter on Windows Me gives you an overview of the operating system. It also teaches you to perform the essential tasks you will need to use the Windows operating system. The chapter on Office 2000 gives you an overview of the Office 2000 suite of which PowerPoint 2000 is a member. If you are new to computers then read the book from the beginning, but if you are familiar with the Windows environment, you can skip the chapter on Windows Me.

The book uses the example of a bookstore to explain how PowerPoint 2000 could be used to accomplish the various tasks that one can accomplish using PowerPoint 2000-whether he/she is working for a big organization, running a small business or using the computer for personal purposes. We have tried to make the learning process easy by providing a lot of screen shots, real life examples, exercises, and so on. We hope that you will find this book very useful and will help you become more productive.

‘Excel 2000 for Beginners’ is written for all who want to learn about Excel 2000, the most popular electronic spreadsheet in the world. This book is written in a step-by-step style to make the learning of the packages as easy as possible. The book contains all the information that you will need in getting started and learning the ropes of Excel 2000. The chapter on Windows Me gives you an overview of the operating system. It also teaches you to perform the essential tasks you will need to use the Windows operating system. The chapter on Office 2000 gives you an overview of the Office 2000 suite of which Excel 2000 is a member. If you are new to computers then read the book from the beginning, but if you are familiar with the Windows environment, you can skip the chapter on Windows Me.

The book uses the example of a bookstore to explain how Excel 2000 could be used to accomplish the various tasks that one can accomplish using Excel 2000-whether he/she is working for a big organization, running a small business or using the computer for personal purposes. We have tried to make the learning process easy by providing a lot of screen shots, real life examples, exercises, and so on. We hope that you will find this book very useful and will help you become more productive.

‘Word 2000 for Beginners’ is written for all who want to learn about Microsoft Word 2000, the most popular word processing package in the world. This book is written in a step-by-step style to make the learning of the packages as easy as possible. The book contains all the information that you will need in getting started and learning the ropes of Word 2000. The chapter on Windows Me gives you an overview of the operating system. It also teaches you to perform the essential tasks you will need to use the Windows operating system. The chapter on Office 2000 gives you an overview of the Office 2000 suite of which Word 2000 is a member. If you are new to computers then read the book from the beginning, but if you are familiar with the Windows environment, you can skip the chapter on Windows Me.

The book uses the example of a bookstore to explain how Word 2000 could be used to accomplish the various tasks that one can accomplish using Word 2000-whether he/she is working for a big organization, running a small business or using the computer for personal purposes. We have tried to make the learning process easy by providing a lot of screen shots, real life examples, exercises, and so on. We hope that you will find this book very useful and will help you become more productive.

Microsoft’s Office 2000 is suite of applications aimed at improving human productivity whether it is at the office or in the home. The Office 2000 suite contains a set of seamlessly integrated applications that will help you become more productive and efficient in most of your day-to-day activities-may it be organizing your calendar, sending and receiving e-mails, composing a letter, creating a letterhead or visiting card, designing and publishing a newsletter or even creating and publishing your web site. Office 2000 suite contains a set of very powerful, popular and easy-to-use applications that can make your life a lot easier. It contains the world’s most popular word processor (Word 2000), electronic spreadsheet (Excel 2000) and Internet browser (Internet Explorer). It also contains an excellent presentation software (PowerPoint 2000), a full-fledged relational database management system (Access 2000), a very efficient organizer cum e-mail client (Outlook 2000), a wonderful publishing software (Publisher 2000), a graphics package (PhotoDraw 2000), an award winning Web site creation tool (FrontPage 2000) and a set of small business tools. If one knows how to use these tools, then he/she can save a lot of time, effort and money and can be more productive and efficient.

Introduction to Computers with MS-Office 2000 is written for all who want to learn about computers and the most popular productivity improvement tools mentioned above-Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Publisher, PhotoDraw, Internet Explorer and so on. This book is written in a step-by-step style so as to make the learning of the packages as easy as possible. Since the book is divided into sections you don’t need to read the book from cover to cover. If you are new to computers, read the first sections on computers, Windows and Office 2000 and then you can move straight to the package you want to learn first.

The book uses a single example, that of a book store, to explain how each package in the Office 2000 suite could be used to accomplish the various tasks that one will have to perform–whether he/she is working for a big organization, running a small business or using the computer for personal purposes. We have tried to make the learning process easy by providing a lot of screen shots, real life examples, exercises, and so on. We hope that you will find this book very useful and will help you become more productive.