Choosing a tool: word-processor table, spreadsheet or database
A table of data can be made with more than one kind of program. A word processor can draw a simple table. This is fine for a small table, but it cannot answer questions like “show me all the pupils whose name has a certain letter”. A spreadsheet can do much more. It can sort the marks and make simple calculations, such as a total. But it becomes hard to use when you have a large amount of complex data. A database program is made for exactly this. It is the right choice when you have much complex data, when you need relations between data, when you want your own custom applications to manage data, and when you need higher security. Sort the tools by size of the job: small table, word processor; sorting and sums, spreadsheet; much complex data, database. We name no programs; only the kind matters.
| Word-processor table | Spreadsheet | Database program | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good for | a small, simple table | sorting and simple calculations | much complex data |
| Weakness | cannot answer questions about the data | hard with large complex data | needs more learning |
| Relations between data | no | hardly | yes |
| Security | basic | basic | higher |
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | Total |
| 2 | Pupil 1 | 52 |
| 3 | Pupil 3 | 50 |
| 4 | Pupil 4 | 50 |
| 5 | Pupil 2 | 47 |
| 6 | Pupil 5 | 46 |
Write three jobs on cards: “a class birthday list for 8 friends”, “marks to be sorted and totalled”, “records of every pupil, book and loan in a big school”. Put each card under a heading: word processor, spreadsheet or database. Explain each choice in one sentence.