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Database Systems: A Pragmatic Approach is a classroom textbook for use by students who are learning about relational databases, and the professors who teach them. It discusses the database as an essential component of a software system, as well as a valuable, mission critical corporate resource. The book is based on lecture notes that have been tested and proven over several years, with outstanding results. It also exemplifies mastery of the technique of combining and balancing theory with practice, to give students their best chance at success. Upholding his aim for brevity, comprehensive coverage, and relevance, author Elvis C. Foster´s practical and methodical discussion style gets straight to the salient issues, and avoids unnecessary fluff as well as an overkill of theoretical calculations.

The book discusses concepts, principles, design, implementation, and management issues of databases. Each chapter is organized systematically into brief, reader-friendly sections, with itemization of the important points to be remembered. It adopts a methodical and pragmatic approach to solving database systems problems. Diagrams and illustrations also sum up the salient points to enhance learning. Additionally, the book includes a number of Foster´s original methodologies that add clarity and creativity to the database modeling and design experience while making a novel contribution to the discipline. Everything combines to make Database Systems: A Pragmatic Approach an excellent textbook for students, and an excellent resource on theory for the practitioner.

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Part I: Preliminary Topics

1. Introduction to Database Systems

2. The Database System Environment

Part II: The Relational Database Model

3. The Relational Model

4. Integrity Rules and Normalization

5. Database Modeling and Design

6. Database User Interface Design

7. Relational Algebra

8. Relational Calculus

9. Relational System a Closer Look

Part III: Structured Query Language

10. Overview of SQL

11. SQL Definition Statements

12. SQL Data Manipulation Statements

13. Logical Views and Security

14. The System Catalog

15. Some Limitations of SQL

Part IV: Some Commonly Used DBMS Suites

16. Overview of Oracle

17. Overview of DB2

18. Overview of Microsoft SQL Server

19. Overview of Gupta Team Developer and MySQL

20. Overview of Borland Delphi

Part V: Advanced Topics

21. Database Administration

22. Distributed Database Systems

23. Object Databases

24. Data Warehousing and Information Extraction

25. Web-Accessible Databases

Part VI: Final Preparations

26. Sample Exercises and Examination Questions

Part VII: Appendices

A. Review of Trees

B. Review of Hashing

C. Review of Information Gathering Techniques

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Elvis C. Foster is Associate Professor of Computer Science at Keene State College, New Hampshire. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BS.) in Computer Science and Electronics, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Computer Science (specializing in strategic information systems and database systems) from University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica. Dr. Foster has over 22 years of combined experience as a software engineer, information technology executive and consultant, and computer science educator.

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