Spreadsheets and Databases

During week 4 you will also understand and experience the difference between spreadsheet and database technologies. Spreadsheets are very important for the analysis of computational links among the parts of the spreadsheet model allowing to see the effects of changes of various variables on the large group of dependent variables.
This is especially important in DSS systems. One of the crucial parts of building such formula connections is the ability to productively use absolute and relative references – which is the topic of the exercise.
But databases can also be used for situational analysis. The main tool here is the SQL language allowing to create “Views” of the whole database or big tables by formulating what has to be in such views and how it should be presented. Views can serve as the basis for further enhancements in charts, further queries, or special “relational operations” on data. Although systems manipulating SQL in order to create interesting and important views cost a lot of money, the basic knowledge and experience in SQL handling allows you to do such analysis with corresponding supporting data and charts for free.