PeopleSoft Database Organization    

1. PeopleSoft uses relational databases for organizing data efficiently. Relational databases are used in a variety of contexts. As a result, relational database terminology includes multiple expressions describing the same element or concept. These terms are used when referring to the listed elements in PeopleSoft. [ go ]
2. Relational databases store data in tables. Tables are composed of rows and columns. Here is an example of a table of data for pets that visit Shear Style, a pet grooming business. [ go ]
3. Each row provides information for a single entity, in this case, pets.
   
   In the first row, you can see the pet's name is Duke, a Labrador Retriever owned by Melissa Watkins. Duke is a large dog who tends to run away. [ go ]
4. Each column details a particular characteristic of each pet. For example, the first column indicates the Pet's Name, while the third column indicates the Owner's Name. [ go ]
5. Shear Styles uses two additional tables in its database containing information related to the Pet Table. These are the Customer Table and the Appointment Information Table.
   
   You can easily retrieve information from different tables in a relational database, in the combination of your choice, using key fields. [ go ]
6. A key is a column or combination of columns that identifies a row of data as unique in a relational database table. Business rules can impact the assignment of table keys.
   
   For example, because Shear Style has no customers with the same exact name, the key field for the Customer Table is Owner Name. However, if this were not the case, the combination of Owner Name and Phone may be needed to uniquely identify a row of data in the Customer Table. [ go ]
7. Key fields are important identifiers in relational databases. They enable the user to extract specific and exclusive information from the database. Although some database systems may use terms such as "primary key" and "foreign key," these terms are not used with PeopleSoft Enterprise applications. [ go ]
8. As the owner of Shear Style, you want to get the appropriate information you need to mail each customer a reminder of his or her pet's next grooming appointment. You want to include the client's name and address, the pet's name and breed, and the appointment date. This information resides in three separate tables, but you can select the data you want to see from each one. [ go ]
9. Here is the information you requested from Shear Style's database. [ go ]

In summary, you have seen how data is structured in a relational database and how it is easy to identify the information you want to retrieve.

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