ACCT 5342 Partnership Practice Assignments for Week 03

ACCT 5342 Accounting Information Systems

Last Revised on August 18, 2005

Partner Assignments for Week 3

Partners may study together on the assignments below.  Partners must also submit Attest Forms regarding the M&G Chapter 1 Quiz.

• I recommend that each partnership import the document you are reading now into Microsoft FrontPage or Word and then added answers to this document.  This assignment file need not be turned in during class. 
• Prior to the next class, your partnership is required to have your assignment examined by the ACCT 5342 Teaching Assistant. Your files need not be fully complete, and the TA is not going to assign a grade to your work.  The TA will, however, try to help you in places where you are having difficulties. Try to meet with the TA during scheduled lab hours.  Details for contacting the TA are given in the syllabus.
• You are to report on your meeting with the TA in the ACCT 5342 partnership attestation form.  Each partnership must print and submit an attest.htm form before class begins.

Prior to the end of September, all students in ACCT 5342 must have a Website that includes at least the following:

A resume.htm file that contains a copy of your resume.  
This file may be a resume.pdf file.  Students who want to create a PDF file may take their resume.doc files to the computer lab in the Communications Department (on the fourth floor of the Laurie Auditorium building).   Read the resume.doc file into MS Word and save the file as a PDF document.  However, saving the file as a PDF file is optional.  Students may choose to simply go to any lab computer on campus and save their resume.doc files as resume.htm files for purposes of placing a resume online.  

A links.htm file that contains links to Websites and other references of interest that you would like to share with the world.

A default.htm file that will appear whenever Web users anywhere in the world first enter your Website.
This can be a simple file that contains your name and links to the other documents at your Website.  However, you may also add your picture and any other items that you want on your opening page.  An animation that begins automatically is not advised for the opening page.  Nor is a large graphic advised for your opening page.  The reason is that an animation or large graphic opens painfully slow for users around the world who only have access to the Web via slow modems.

Students may create Web documents in MS Word (by saving as HTM files rather than DOC files) or they may use MS FrontPage.  There are advantages in learning how to use FrontPage.

Before commencing a Website, students should carefully read the ITS Instructions regarding the Student Web Server at http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/local/about.html 

When creating Web pages, students can get help from the following sources:

1. Professor Jensen in Chapman 313 and via email at rjensen@trinity.edu 
2. The ACCT 5342 graduate assistants
3. The Help Desk at http://www.trinity.edu/helpdesk/ 
4. A FrontPage tutorial at http://www.trinity.edu/cbtweb/curicula/courses/fp9801e/fp9801e.htm 

There are thousands upon thousands of good Web design helpers. One design helper that I recommend is at http://www.useit.com/ 

Table of Contents

Possible Quiz Questions for Class 03

• Some validation rules that use the LIKE comparison operator
  (in a new browser window)
• Input mask definition characters used to create an input mask
  (in a new browser window)
• The keyboard shortcuts for moving in fields and records
  (in a new browser window)
• The keyboard shortcuts for actions in a list box or a combo box (in a new browser window)

Possible Quiz Questions for Class 03

This document contains the possible quiz questions for Class 03. Not listed here are possible questions from this week's assigned chapters from the Murthy and Groomer textbook and the Perry & Schneider textbook. In addition, you are responsible for the prior lectures on Access by Professor Jensen.

For practicing on these quiz question, I suggest that you create a JUNK directory in your Drive C hard drive. Then copy the Northwind Database file into that directory. The Northwind Database is on the path J:\courses\acct5342\access\samples\nw2000\northwind.mdb . You may add and delete tables, queries, forms, etc. to this practicing database that you copy into JUNK. If you get a message that the Northwind Database needs to be "converted, " simply click the option to convert and save the database in the computer's Drive C JUNK directory. Further directions along for converting MS Access databases have been added to the section entitled Preliminary Course Activities in the ACCT 5312 Syllabus.

Unfortunately, the file is too large (2.48 Mb) to put on a floppy disk and take to your home computer. I think there are some lab machines with CD recording drives. You can burn the Northwind database onto a CD-R or CD-RW disk for your home computer via a laptop. One problem, however, is that some of you will not have MS Access on your home computers.

If you want to save any of your work, you can save files to your assigned space on the student server on Drive Y.  Smaller files may be saved on floppy discs.

For the Perry and Schneider (P&S) textbook MS Access databases, you can use your CD that came with the text or you can convert the P&S Access files on the path J:\courses\Acct5342\Access\psbook\. Please note how to use either the Drive J version or the CD-ROM version of the database files by clicking on the following instructions:

-------> http://WWW.Trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5342/acct5342.htm#problem

M&G Assignment.
The M&G assigned online quiz must be graded prior to the start of class.  Your partner must be present when you take the quiz, and your partner must print and sign the attest.htm file.

Details regarding the M&G textbook are given in the syllabus.

CPA Examination Project Assignments
Each week, students are to complete the assignment scheduled at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5342/proj02.htm

This is like stacking of building blocks.  Each week a student completes an assignment to be stacked on to previous assignments of this project.  Every week, students turn in their stack of building blocks as of the class date.  Submissions of the DOC files should be attached to email messages to rjensen@trinity.edu

Week 03 Assignments:  Most of these questions pertain to J:\courses\acct5342\access\samples\nw2000\northwind.mdb
Note that I revised Microsoft's version of northwind.mdb by adding two queries that will make your life easier.

1. Form Basics: The datasheet mode is not generally the best way to view records. Instead, Microsoft Access has a tab for listing and adding to customized "forms" for viewing the data. More than one form can be designed for alternative views of any table. In the Northwind Database, how can you view the list of forms? Note that forms may have headers, a body, and footers. Click on the Suppliers form to view a form that has a footer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Form Basics: Open the Employees Form in the Northwind Database. What are at least three advantages for the Employee form view of the Employees table rather than the datasheet view of the table?
   
   [Hint: Forms can be used both for analyzing tables and for entering records to tables.]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Form Basics: Open table view and then the datasheet view of the Categories Table of the Northwind Database. Note the four fields that are in the table. Now open the Categories Form view of this same table. What do you notice about the number and types of objects in the Categories Form?
   
   [Hint: The Categories Form illustrates the use of "subform" within a form. A form can have one or more subforms. What are the subforms listed under the Forms tab of the Northwind Database?]
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Form Basics: If I decided to put my Accounting Information Systems Glossary in an Access Database, why would the form view of each definition be better than the datasheet view?
   
   [Hint: Data entered into a datasheet "cell" may contain up to 255 characters. Word wrapping becomes an issue in the datasheet view.] By way of illustration, compare the Employees Form versus Employees Datasheet views.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Form Basics: If the Form Design Toolbar is not open, open it by clicking on (View, Toolbars, Form Design). What is the role of each of the icons in that toolbar?
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Form Basics: What is the difference between a single-page form and a multiple-page form? For example, compare the Categories Form versus the Employees Form in the Northwind Database.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Form Basics: What is the difference between a multiple-page form and a single-page form with subforms? For example, compare the Employees Form versus the Orders Form in the Northwind Database.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Form Basics: What are the special features of a continuous form? For example, take a look at the Quarterly Orders Form in the Northwind Database.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Form Basics: Forms can be linked together in other control forms. Which is the master control form in the Forms tab listing of the Northwind Database?
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Form Building (Creation): To create a form from the Forms tab, note the button called New on the right side of the screen. (If the New button is deactivated you may have to follow instructions for converting a database.) What is the role of the Form Wizard? Details about creating forms will be given later in the course?
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Form Controls Objects: Some form objects have no control functions. For example, a "text box" object merely conveys a message. Other "objects" like field names are automatically derived from the datasheet. One type of a form control object is a checkbox. Three checkboxes contained in the Orders Form in the Northwind Database are shown as follows: Another control object is the list box. What is a list box? Can you identify a list box in the Orders Form of the Northwind database?
    
    
    
    How does a list box differ from the check box and can you identify a list box in the Sales Reports Dialog Form of the Northwind Database?
    
    
    
    How does the combo box differ from the list box and can you identify a combo box in the Customers Form and Employees Form in the Northwind Database?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
12. Form Controls Objects: Click on the Tables tab and shift to the datasheet view of the Employees Table. Note that the Photo Field is near the right hand side of the Employees Datasheet. Next view the Employees Form by clicking on the Forms tab. The frame object in that form controls picture placement. More specifically, it is termed an "object frame" and uses Object Link and Embedding (OLE) technology such that when one picture of a person in a record of the Photo Field is changed, the picture will also change for that person in the Employees Form. The object frame control is bound to an OLE picture in the database. Select Janet Laverling's picture in the Employees Form and show how this picture can be edited in the Employees Form.
    
    [Hint: Click on the menu choice Edit.]
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Form Navigation: For help here see the keyboard shortcuts for moving in fields and records (in a new browser window). Open up the Categories Form and note how the controls at the bottom of the form can be used to navigate to different records on the subset of fields displayed in the Categories Form. For navigational purposes the form is a datasheet. For example, keyboard controls that were used to navigate between records and fields in the datasheet view can also be used in the forms view. For example, use (Ctrl, Tab) to navigate without clicking on the mouse. What were the keyboard navigation keys that were used when you studied datasheet navigation?
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Navigating in a Form: For help here see the keyboard shortcuts for moving in fields and records (in a new browser window). Open the Categories Form. Explain the record navigation buttons near the lower left corner of the form. What is the role of the F5 key in connection with those buttons?
    
    
    
    
    
    Next open the Employees Form. How can you find the navigation buttons at the bottom of the Employees Form? How can you return the view of that form's window caption bar?
    
    
    
    
    
    
15. Navigating in a Form: For help here see the keyboard shortcuts for moving in fields and records (in a new browser window). Open the Employees Form. Either use the mouse or the Tab key to select a field. How can you find an employee named Janet Leverling by using the Find dialog box for her last name rather than sequencing through employee records? How can you search for selected words in a given field rather than the entire table? What are four ways to launch the Find dialog box?
    
    [Hint: one of these options entails use of the (Ctrl, F) keys. What is the difference between searching the "Whole Field" versus "Any Part of Field" options? Why do you get a message "The search item was not found" when you know the search string is contained in one or more cells?--Hint: It's that "Any Part of Field" thing.]
    
    
    
    
    
    
16. Navigating in a Form: For help here see some validation rules that use the LIKE comparison operator (in a new browser window). Open the Orders Subform of the Northwind Database. How can you search for all orders of "Tofu" using the Find dialog?
    
    
    
    
    What is the easiest way to filter out all Tofu records?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    How can you sort out all products beginning with "T" using Filter by Form or (Records, Filter, Advanced Filter/Sort)?
    
    [Hint: The search term looks entered can be (Like "T*")
    
    
    
    
    
    
17. Navigating in a Form: Try this option in Northwind's Orders Subform. Find all orders ending in 80-89 cents?
    
    [Hint: Choose (Records, Filter, Advanced Filter/Sort). The search phrase is (Like "*.8#")]
    
    
    
    
    
    
18. Data Filtering in a Form: What are the main differences between using the Find dialog box and data filtering in a form? How can you activate and clear the filtering options using the Form Toolbar? For example, in the Orders Form, how can you sequentially search all orders shipped to "Victuailles en stock" customer? What are two ways to apply the filter?
    [Hint: One way is to use an icon in the Form View Toolbar.] How can you quickly restore the entire all records in the forms view? What are three ways to activate and clear filters?
    
    [Hint: One of the ways is in the menu choice called Records.]
    
    
    
    
    
    
19. Data Filtering in a Form: Click on menu choice (Records, Filter, Advanced Filter/Sort). How can you filter (view) all records sequentially in Northwind's Orders Form that have a Unit Price of $30 or more and a quantity or 10 or less?
    
    
    
    
    
    Sort the selected data in any order. Use >= and <= notation and note that in the Advanced Filter/Sort window you can activate the filtering and sorting by using the menu choice (Filter, Apply/Filter Sort). What are two other ways for activating the sort?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    How can you restore all records in the form view?
    
    
    
    
    
    
20. Data Sorting in a Form: In the Orders Form, how can you most easily sort all orders from Alfreds Futterkiste by their Unit Price? Why can't you do the same type of sort with the Extended Price?
    
    
    
    
    
    
21. Modification of Records Using a Form: In both the datasheet view and the forms view it is possible to edit data in existing records and add new records. When the Categories Form is in view, click on the menu choice (Records, Data Entry). Enter some typing --- I suggest that you type "Books" in the first category. Then write a short description in the Description Box.
    
    
    
    Next, select the Picture frame. Initiate the Insert Object command either with an alternate (right) click of the mouse or by using the Insert menu choice. On the left side of the Insert Object dialog box, click the choice "Create from File." Next click the Browse button and locate the books.bmp file on the Access\Bitmaps\dbwiz\books.bmp path. Then click on the (Records, Save Record) control in the menubar. The large list box in the bottom half of the Categories Form is actually a Products subform. Leave that list box blank for now.
    
    
    
    It may seem like you are locked into the record you just added. To make it possible to view all records, click on (Records, Remove Filter/Sort). Then you can navigate to the other records in the Category Form.
    
    
    
    
    
    
22. Modification of Records in Subforms: The large list box in the Orders Form is actually a subform for multiple products that may be listed under one category in the Category Form. You can add a record to the Orders Table in three ways: (1) Use the datasheet view of the Orders Table; (2) Use the forms view of the Orders Subform; or (3) Use the forms view of the Orders Form. For example, in the Orders Form, suppose you want to add a new order from Alfreds Futterkiste. Click inside the subform list box and click on the menu choice (Records, Data Entry). Place a hypothetical order for 40 more cases of Rössle Sauerkraut. How can you save this entry to the Orders Table?
    
    
    
    
    
    
23. Deleting Records in the Form Mode: Navigate to the record you just added in the Orders Form. In the form mode, what are two ways that delete the record you just added for 40 more cases of Rössle Sauerkraut?
    
    
    
    
    
    
24. Reports Basics: From the Northwind Database, find two ways to get a view of print preview Page 4 of the Sales by Year Report.
    
    [Hint: Use the alternate (right) mouse button to set the zoom view and get a page listing.] What are the icon (button) options in the Print Preview Toolbar?
    
    
    
    
    
    
25. Reports Basics: What is a subreport and how is it used in the Sales by Year Report?
    
    
    
    
    
    
26. Referential Integrity: Open up the Northwind Database. Use the Help Menu to read about referential integrity. Then open the Shipper table and note that the ShipperID is a primary key integer. Next open the Orders table and note that the Ship Via field contains the name of each shipper rather than the ShipperID integer value. How was referential integrity assured between the Shipper and Orders tables in the Order table design?
    
    [Hint: Click on the design view of the Orders table and then click on the ShipVia field. Then click on the Lookup tab near the bottom of the page.]
    
    
    
    
    

Things to Know from P&S: You should know how to do the following from pages in the Perry and Schneider textbook:

• What is concurrency control versus transaction control?
  
  The latest edition of P&S does not answer this, but the essential ideal is that concurrency control prevents two or more users to concurrently update a record at the same time.  

See "Concurrency Control" in the C term section at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/245gloss.htm 

• What are relational database systems?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What are the important properties of relations (tables)?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can you explain normalization?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What are the fundamental relational database operations?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How do you create views and relations?