Figure 3-4.—Examp1e of a printed spreadsheet.
when the price changes and direct the computer to
recalculate the totals/subtotals.
Many of the available spreadsheet software
packages will interact directly with other programs such
as database and word processing applications. Some
spreadsheet packages integrate (or combine) several
programs into one, such as a spreadsheet program, a
graphics program, and a database management
program.
DATABASE PACKAGES
Before we get too involved in database packages,
let us first define what a database is. The term database
conjures up different images for different people.
However, the concept is about as nontechnical and easy
to envision as a filing cabinet full of file folders. The
filing cabinet and its contents are the database. The
ability to retrieve the data and calculate statistics
quickly and easily without regard to which folder or
drawer contains the information makes the database
system much more powerful than a comparable filing
cabinet system.
Let’s consider a simple database, one which
contains information about all enlisted personnel at
your command in paygrades El through E6, including
their NECs. First, you must establish a record in the
database for each individual. Conceptually, you can
think of it as a file folder containing information on one
particular individual.
You have one file folder, or
record, for each individual in your database. In this
case, we want to know the individual’s name, rate, social
security number (SSN), division, and any NECs the
individual currently holds.
Once you have defined the record, you then proceed
to establish fields for each of the data elements. In this
example the fields are name, rate, SSN, division, and
NECs. If you assume each individual can have a
maximum of four NECs, you would have a database
containing eight fields, as shown in figure 3-5. You now
proceed to create the database by establishing the fields,
specifying their size and the type of information
(numeric, alphanumeric, or logical) they can contain.
Then, you enter the information for each individual into
the appropriate fields.
Once it is created, you can
arrange the database in some logical order (by NAME,
SSN, and so on). The database is normally stored on
some type of secondary storage medium (usually disk),
where the information is simply held until you need it.
Now, suppose you wanted a list of the E-5 and E-6
Storekeepers in the supply department with an NEC of
1234. Under a manual system, you would have to open
and search through each individual’s file folder-there
could be hundreds! You would look at various entries;
first, for rate (or the rate field in your database file);
then, in order to see if this person is assigned to the
supply department (the division field). You would then
check to see if this person has an NEC of 1234 (the four
NEC fields). Finally, you would have a stack of folders
for all E-5 and E-6 Storekeepers who are assigned to the
supply department and who have an NEC of 1234. You
could then list the names from the file folders (the
records) selected.
Depending upon the number of folders you have to
look through, the entire evolution could take hours to
complete. On the other hand, you could use one of the
many database packages available to obtain the same
answer. The database application program, by knowing
the fields in each record and the content of each field,
can easily search for this information in a matter of
seconds. You simply specify the selection criteria and
the report format; the software does the rest—searches
Figure 3-5.—Example of a database record.
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