Information Processing and Technology Essay Sample free essay sample

Information systems perform a set of information procedures necessitating participants. data/ information and information engineering. The procedures are roll uping. analyzing. organizing. processing. storing/ recovering. transmitting/ receiving and displaying. CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMSInformation systems are created to supply entree to information for an administration or single and have the undermentioned features: †¢ ORGANISATION OF DATA INTO INFORMATION- Data must be organised before it can be analysed by the information system. This involves careful though or the resulting information will be meaningless. This may necessitate screening. summarizing or sorting. Data is organised utilizing constructions such as informations lexicons. †¢ ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION TO GIVE KNOWLEDGE- Access to information and the ensuing cognition is the intent of an information system. For people to derive knowledge the information must be analysed. Information systems provide a scope of tools for analysis of informations such as tabular arraies. questions and studies. Peoples make determinations based on the information they receive from an information system. TYPES AND PURPOSES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS †¢ TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEMS ( TPSs ) collect. shop. modify and recover the day-to-day minutess of an administration eg. a point-of-sale terminus. There are two types of dealing processing: -BATCH PROCCESSING collects the dealing informations into a group and processes it subsequently and is presently used where the information is in paper signifier such as checks. This type has a clip hold. -REAL-TIME Processing plants where each dealing is instantly processed supplying instant verification but it does necessitate entree to an on-line database. †¢ DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS- aid people to do determinations by supplying information. theoretical accounts and analysis tools. They can be used on a day-to-day footing or when an administration has to respond to something unexpected or do alterations. Adept systems are a type of DSS. †¢ EXPERT SYSTEMS- provide information and work out jobs that would otherwise necessitate a individual experienced in that field ( an expert ) . They are utile in naming. monitoring. choosing. planing. predicting and preparation. An adept system asks users a set of inquiries and compares replies to a cognition base. which is a set of general facts and if-then regulations supplied by an expert. It must so ground to achieve a solution. These are non ever rectify and the pick is up to the user. †¢ MANGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS ( MISs ) provide information for the organisation’s troughs. An MIS nowadayss basic facts about the public presentation of the administration eg. a budget or study. The consciousness of how public presentation is measured provides motive for workers and aids make determinations. A particular type is called the Executive Information System ( EIS ) which is designed for the information demands of senior troughs and provides strategic information. †¢ OFFICE AUTOMATION SYSTEMS- provide people with effectual ways to finish administrative undertakings in an administration. They use package tools such as word processors. databases etc. and besides use communicating engineering. Examples OF DATABASE INFORMATION SYSTEMSInformation systems that use a database are called database information systems. Databases are accessed by a database direction system ( DBMS ) which has no information in it but is a package bundle that allows the user to come in maintain and supply entree to a database. The user can take which information is required and how to expose it in a meaningful manner. The term database is frequently used alternatively of DBMS. ORGANISATION METHODS ORGANISING is the procedure of set uping. stand foring and arranging informations and involves the construct of a database. DATABASE is an organized aggregation of informations. NON-COMPUTER AND COMPUTER BASED METHODSA database is merely a topographic point to organize and hive away informations so it may be retrieved at a later for a peculiar intent. †¢ NON-COMPUTER BASED DATABASES such as a telephone book are frequently the best manner to organize informations. It is convenient to obtain information from a book or entree it from a filing cabinet. A hunt in one of these consequences in a piece of paper. Non-computer databases allow easy retrieval. necessitating no computing machine accomplishments and are cheap and easier to maintain secure ( the information is much harder to utilize for other intents ) whilst staying more private. †¢ COMPUTER BASED DATABASES such as auto enrollments and CD-ROM encyclopaedia. hold several advantages over non-computer based methods: -EASILY EDITED. Datas can be corrected and updated without retyping. -LARGE STORAGE. Data is stored on a disc and retrieved when required. -FAST RETRIEVAL. Data is searched and sorted rapidly and accurately to obtain needed information. -DISPLAY OPTIONS. Data is presented in a figure of ways utilizing tabular arraies. signifiers and studies. FLAT FILE DATABASES- organise informations into a individual file and are suited for many little applications. Data is organised utilizing constructions called files. records. Fieldss and characters: †¢ FILE- is a block of informations. A file in a database is divided into a set of related records. †¢ RECORD- is a aggregation of facts about one specific entry in a database. A record is divided into one or more related Fieldss. †¢ FIELD- is a specific class of informations in a database. Data points in a field are made up of characters. †¢ CHARACTER- is the smallest unit of informations that people can utilize. Fictional characters include Numberss. letters and particular symbols. KEYS are Fieldss used to screen and recover information. Normally each holds a alone point that applies to merely one record. When information is sorted the key is used so that non all the information has to be read or retrieved. There are different types including: †¢ SINGLE KEY- is a field in which each point of informations is alone. Care must be taken to guarantee this. †¢ COMPOSITE KEY- or compound key is made by fall ining two or more Fieldss together. It is used when no information point in any field can be guaranteed to be alone. †¢ PRIMARY KEY- is a individual or compound key that must hold a value. They can non be empty or void. †¢ SECONDARY KEY- is a field that contains utile points of informations frequently used in hunts. They are non ever alone. RELATIONAL DATABASES- organise informations utilizing a series of related tabular arraies. Relationships are built between the tabular arraies to supply a flexible manner of manipulating and uniting informations. Forms are used to see. enter and alteration informations in the tabular arraies. Relational databases are the most normally used information construction. The administration of these requires a scheme. The most popular signifier of database. SCHEMA- is the informations definition for a database. It is an organized program of the database demoing how and where the information is found. descriptions. and logical relationships of the information. The scheme defines the entities. properties and relationships: †¢ ENTITY- is a specific thing about which information is collected and stored. †¢ ATTRIBUTE- is a defined belongings of an entity. Each property of an entity contains a information point. Properties are the same as Fieldss in a level file database. †¢ RELATIONSHIP- is the manner entities are related to each other. Entities are related in three ways: -A one-to-one relationship occurs when each record in the first entity is related to precisely one record in the 2nd entity. -A one-to-many relationship occurs when one record in the first entity is related to many records in the 2nd entity. but any record in the 2nd entity merely relates to one entity in the first. -A many-to-many relationship occurs when each record in the first entity is related to many records in the 2nd entity and each record in the 2nd entity is related to many in the first. Foreign KEY- is an property of a tabular array that is a primary key of another tabular array. The information in the foreign key of one tabular array must fit the informations in the primary key of another. TABLE- Information about an entity is stored in a tabular array. A tabular array is the administration of informations into columns and rows. Sometimes referred to as a relation. The rows and columns can be viewed in any order without impacting the tabular array contents. -A column is besides an property of an entity or a field of a record. The information in a column must hold the same information type and a distinguishable name. -A row in a tabular array is called a tuple of an entity or a record. Each row must be unambiguously identified by a key. FORMS- Data is viewed for different intents utilizing a signifier. A signifier is used to see. enter and alteration informations in a tabular array. The layout of a signifier can be changed by the user placement headers. Fieldss and artworks. A well-designed signifier provides information explicating the required informations and any entry regulations that apply to peculiar Fieldss. In a relational database signifiers can be based on individual or multiple tabular arraies. DATA MODELLING is the procedure of placing entities. the relationships between those entities and the properties of those entities. It is used to develop a scheme for the database and is critical for making an effectual database. Tools for informations patterning include informations lexicons. conventional diagrams and standardization. †¢ DATA DICTIONARY- is a comprehensive description of each field ( attribute ) in the database. It contains features about each point entered. Data lexicons consist of metadata ( information about information ) . Data lexicons besides create a common land for people working on a undertaking. They can utilize the lexicon to look into whether an property already exists. This reduces information redundancy. DATA REDUNDANCY is the unwanted duplicate of informations within a database. †¢ SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS- are graphical tools that help specify the database and develop a scheme. A common type is an entity-relationship diagram.-ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM is a graphical method of placing the entities and demoing the relationships between them. It helps find the informations to be included in and excluded from the database. They force people to hold a common apprehension of the database and are a utile tool for explicating it. †¢ NORMALISATION- is the procedure of organizing informations into tabular arraies so that the consequences of utilizing the database are unambiguous and as intended. It is a refinement procedure that aims to cut down informations redundancy as alternations to one tabular array ( eg. the omission of a individual ) have no affect on the others as the information has been separated. The grade of standardization has been defined in footings of signifiers: -FIRST NORM FORM ( 1NF ) is traveling informations points into separate tabular arraies where the information in each is a similar type. Each tabular array is given a primary key. This is the basic degree of standardization and normally corresponds to the definitionof a database. -DOMAIN/ KEY NORMAL FORM ( DKNF ) is where a key unambiguously identifies each row in a tabular array. A sphere is the set of allowable values for each property. Enforcing cardinal and domain limitations ensures there are no jobs when modifying the database. This is the concluding degree of standardization. HYPERMEDIA is a combination of media whose locations are linked electronically to supply an easy manner to voyage between the information. The information is stored utilizing a set of paperss that may include text. sound. picture or feasible plans. Each papers is independent and information is retrieved utilizing hypertext. HYPERTEXT is a system that allows paperss to be cross-linked in such a manner that the user can travel from one papers to another by snaping on a nexus. LINK. or hyperlink. is indicated by a highlighted point that allows the electronic connexion. The writer of the hypertext must stipulate the location of the information accessed by each nexus. If another computing machine is in the finish of the nexus. that computing machine is called a node. The WWW is the most good known application of interactive multimedia. On the Web paperss are accessed utilizing a URL. UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR ( URL ) is the reference of a file or resource on the Web. The chief parts of a URL are: †¢ PROTOCOL- the transportation method used to entree a peculiar resource on the Web. Most commonly hypertext transfer protocol: // ( hypertext transportation protocol ) . †¢ FILE PATH- the full way to the file to be retrieved. May be a simple file name or a directory way. The sphere name and file way are separated by a / . URLs must be complete and exact. Web browers can hive away the URLs of pages in booklets or classs as bookmark or front-runners. STORYBOARD is a series of frames. each stand foring a different action or screen image. It is a tool used to organize interactive multimedia as they define each screen and its specific media type. They are drawn on computing machine or paper and often edited. Storyboards consist of pilotage waies. information and artworks. They are simple to build and modify at any phase. and easy to read. There are four layouts: †¢ LINEAR- a simple consecutive way that is set up easy. †¢ HIERARCHICAL- a consecutive way in a top-down design ; the user starts at the beginning and moves down through the multimedia merchandise. †¢ NON-LINEAR- no construction ; the user moves between different layouts in any way. †¢ COMBINATION- a blending of the above. HYPERTEXT MARK-UP LANGUAGE ( HTML ) are what Web pages are written in and created from. HTML is a set of particular instructions that indicate how parts of a papers will be displayed and navigated. HTML paperss are really text files that contain HTML and are viewed utilizing a Web browser. Instruction manuals in HTML are given utilizing HTML tickets. which are metadata. HTML EDITOR is a package plan that specialises in composing HTML codification. Storage AND RETRIEVALA DBMS is used to supply secure and efficient methods for storage and retrieval of information from a database. DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ( DBMS ) is a package bundle that allows users to entree a database so they can come in. maintain and view the information. In a DBMS information is organised into tabular arraies. viewed in signifiers. retrieved utilizing questions and displayed in studies. DBMSs manipulate the informations in ways such as seeking and screening. They besides perform a figure of undertakings to assist users develop and keep a database: -organising the information utilizing a information lexicon-showing relationships between entities utilizing conventional diagrams-checking for identifiable mistakes in informations entry-allowing flexibleness to alter the definition of the database-restricting entree to the informations to authorized people-providing information about the public presentation of a database. METHODS OF ACCESSING DATA †¢ SEQUENTIAL ACCESS occurs when informations is accessed in a sequence. Data is accessed in the order it was stored. It does non necessitate the exact location of the informations point. Sequential is much slower than direct and impractical when immediate processing is required. It is the lone method of accessing informations stored on magnetic tape. †¢ DIRECT ACCESS occurs when informations is accessed without accessing old informations points. Data is stored in a peculiar storage location based on a mathematical process or algorithm. Direct entree uses this algorithm to cipher the approximative location of the informations. If the information is non found here the computing machine searches through consecutive locations until it is found. Direct informations frequently requires the usage of an index and this is called indexed entree. INDEX- is a tabular array that contains information about the location of informations. Data is accessed by mentioning to the index and obtaining the exact location of the information. The indexed method is widely used to hive away informations on a disc. every bit good as shop the logical location of informations in a database. DISTRIBUTED DATABASES- are databases located at more than one site. They act as a individual aggregation of informations that is geographically dispersed. Distributed databases cut down informations transmittal costs that would happen if all users at all sites had to entree one centralised database. However they make it more hard to obtain a complete position of the database. Distributed databases frequently need to be synchronised to maintain them current. A two-phase commit is a portion of the DBMS used to keep consistence across a distributed database. It checks whether both parts of the database are ready for transmittal and so performs it. Storage MEDIA†¢ ONLINE STORAGE uses a peripheral device that is under the user’s direct control eg. a difficult disc. †¢ OFFLINE STORAGE uses a peripheral device that is non under the user’s direct control eg. a centralized database. Both online and offline storage usage a assortment of peripheral devices and storage mediums: †¢ HARD DISK- is a storage device made of metal or glass and covered with magnetic stuff. Normally mounted or fixed in instance with storage capacity measured in Gb and accessed utilizing direct entree. †¢ OPTICAL DISK- is a polycarbonate plastic disc with a brooding bed of metal covering the surface. Data is read and written utilizing optical masers and informations is retrieved utilizing direct entree. Types: -CD-ROMS ( Compact Disks Read Only Memory ) are 12cm and capable of hive awaying 650Mb. Convenient for hive awaying changeless informations. -DVD-ROM ( Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory ) are same physical size as Cadmium but shop between 4. 7 and 17Gb. †¢ REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE- is a difficult disc encased in a plastic or metal cartridge that can be removed like a floppy disc. Fast ( yet non every bit fast as a fixed difficult disc ) and use direct entree. Two types: -Zip discs store 100 or 250Mb of informations and have a transportation rate of 1Mbps. -Jaz discs are an ascent of Zips. They store up to 2Gb and have a transportation rate of 5. 5Mbps. †¢ MAGNETIC TAPE- is a really thin. long strip of plastic. coated with a thin bed of magnetic stuff. The tape is wound on 2 reels inside a cartridge. They can hive away big measures of informations. cheaply. utilizing consecutive entree and are normally used as a back-up medium. Encoding is the procedure of coding informations. and decoding is the procedure of decrypting it. It is the most effectual manner of accomplishing informations security. Data is encoded. transmitted and so converted back to its original signifier. Encoding is indispensable for fiscal minutess and is used extensively on the Internet. Methods frequently involve complex use of spot forms. One job is to happen a method that is hard to decrypt yet practical to utilize. Two chief types: †¢ ASYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION requires a key for encoding and a key for decoding. Common method is public cardinal encoding. which involves a public key that is widely available and used for encoding and a private key that is kept secret and used for decoding. Both are developed utilizing complicated figure theory. †¢ SYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION requires the same key for both encoding and decoding. Common method is Data Encryption Standard ( DES ) . BACKUP- is another transcript of informations that can be used to reconstruct the system. DBMSs contain backup and recovery capablenesss where backups are created at specified times. If the system goes down the recovery procedure rebuilds the information. It uses the last completed backup and a diary naming all the actions completed by the DBMS since the last backup. The success of backup and recovery depends on implementing appropriate processs. Backups are normally stored offsite or in a fireproof safe. Backups eliminate the demand for replacing informations. which is an tremendously dearly-won action. DATA SECURITY- involves a series of precautions to protect the information. First entree is limited to authorised users utilizing watchwords. personal objects and biometric devices. Further precautions involve encoding and firewalls. †¢ FIREWALL- cheques the watchword of anyone seeking to entree the web ( can be used on Internet besides ) to verify and authenticate entrance informations. Expensive to put in and keep. Large systems require more than one. as barriers need to be placed at critical points. Sort is the procedure of set uping informations in a peculiar order. Meaningfully organised informations in a database is easier to utilize. Kinds are performed in go uping or falling order. Screening can be done on more than one field ( attribute ) so that records are arranged in the most utile order. SEARCHING is the procedure of analyzing the database to recover informations. In little databases the effectual manner to make this is to shop or utilize the Find or Search bid. In big databases it is done with a question. QUERY- is a hunt of a database for records that meet a certain status. It is a inquiry you ask the database. The consequences are normally displayed in a tabular array but can be used as the footing for a signifier. study. graph or another question. A question can besides update or cancel multiple records at the same clip and execute computations on informations. Questions are constructed in the signifier. The information is frequently called the standard. A common method for building a question is query by illustration. which requires a user to come in the standards against a field. If the hunt of a database involves two or more entities it is called a relational question. Operators are used to build some questions. The operator represents the action to be performed. Operators are classified as relational or logical: †¢ RELATIONAL OPERATORS ( = . . . = ) are characters or symbols bespeaking the relationship between two looks.-WILDCARD CHARACTERS represent one or more unknown characters. Common wildcards include ( * ) which substitutes for any figure of characters. and the ( ? ) which replacement for merely one. †¢ LOGICAL OPERATORS ( AND. OR. NOT ) are used to unite questions so that a hunt is carried out on one or more Fieldss. It is of import to understand the difference between AND and OR operators:-AND operator requires both the first and 2nd question to be true as it retrieves records that satisfy both.-OR operator requires either the first or 2nd question to be true as it retrieves records that satisfy either eg. ‘Last Name = Howe’ OR ‘Suburb = Kearns’ . |Operator Description | |RELATIONAL OPERATORS | |= |Equal to | | |Not equal to | | lt ; |Less than | | gt ; |Greater than | |= |Greater than or equal to | |Contains | ( without capital ) | |Does non contain | | |Begins with | | |Ends with | | |Is blank | | |Is non blank | | |LOGICAL OPERATORS | |AND |Both | |OR |Either one | |NOT |Exact opposite | QUERY LANGUAGE- is a specialized linguistic communication designed to seek a database. Structured QUERY LANGUAGE ( SQL ) is a query linguistic communication used to entree and manipulate informations in a relational database. SQL statements contain keywords that are used to execute a peculiar undertaking. When seeking in SQL it is indispensable to utilize right sentence structure. In most DBMSs keywords are in uppercase. Fieldss are separated by commas. an entity and an property in that entity are separated by a fullstop. and the hunt standard or informations point is enclosed in dual quotation marks. The keyword ORDER BY kinds on a field in go uping ( ASC ) or falling ( DESC ) order with go uping as the default. KEYWORD |VALUES |DESCRIPTION | |SELECT |Field ( s ) |The information to be displayed | |FROM |Table ( s ) |The beginning of the informations | |WHERE |Search criteria |The question | |ORDER BY |Field ( s ) |The order in which consequences are to be displayed | SEARCH ENGINE- is a database of indexed Web sites that allows a keyword hunt. Search engines are used to seek interactive multimedia. An index is a tabular array. which contains information about the location of informations. Indexes allow paperss to be found utilizing a keyword hunt. A hunt engine’s index is built by on a regular basis scanning the Web for new sites and accepting entries from Web age writers. The scanning is frequently completed by plans called spiders. sycophants or automatons. They send back the URL of any papers they find to the hunt engines indexing package. This indexing package collects information. such as rubrics and keywords. from the Web sites so indexes these in a database. Each hunt engine has a different method of constructing its index. which is why hunts of the same keyword utilizing different hunt engines obtains different consequences. A keyword is entered related to the subject of involvement. Most search engines allow a hunt on a series of keywords. When the user requests a keyword the hunt engine scans the index and displays a list of Web sites that contain that keyword. Choosing the right keyword is indispensable to the success of a hunt. More than one word. a equivalent word. should be used and it should be really specific. Search engines allow the usage of Boolean qualities such as ‘AND’ . ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’ to polish a hunt. Some hunt engines besides offer lexicons. Dictionaries are lists of Web sites organised into classs ( eg. athletics ) . They are another manner to happen information on the net. The proprietors of a site demand to register it to be included in a directory. As a consequence directories frequently cover a little fraction of the pages available on the Net. A directory is utile for happening information on a general subject. SEARCH ROBOT- is a plan that accesses Web sites and gathers information for hunt engine indexes. Alta Vista uses a automaton called Scooter. DISPLAYINGDISPLAYING is showing the end product from an information system or database to run into a given intent. REPORT- is the formatted and organized presentation of informations ( eg. an bill ) . A DBMS allows complete control is the design of a study in either tabular or column layout. It is possible to infix headers. kind informations. take the Fieldss. exchange Fieldss. alteration column breadths and select records. The intent of the study determines its content. format and manner. Before making a study the user needs to choose the needed records by building a question. Next they select the Fieldss. which are placed in appropriate places. formatted and sorted. Most DBMSs offer maps such as count and amount. Most DBMS studies have the undermentioned subdivisions: †¢ REPORT HEADER- appears one time at the beginning of a study. It contains such points as logo. study rubric and day of the month. †¢ PAGE HEADER- shows information such as rubric. column headers. or any information needed at the top of every page. Appears after study heading on first page of study. †¢ DETAILS- sub division displays most of the information. †¢ PAGE FOOTER- shows information such as day of the month. page figure or anything else wanted at underside of every page. †¢ REPORT FOOTER- appears one time at terminal of study after page footer on last page of study. It displays points such as study sums. DIFFERENT VEIWS of a database are constructed utilizing a signifier. A signifier is used to see. enter. and alteration informations in a tabular array and the layout can be changed. The user can place Fieldss. headers. instructions and artworks. A well-designed signifier provides information explicating the required informations and any regulations that apply to peculiar Fieldss. Good design rules include: -headings that identify the intent of the study-layouts such as tabular or column that expeditiously present information-text that is balanced on the page horizontally or vertically-consistent manners throughout study-columns with clear descriptive headers-appropriate white infinites-page Numberss and day of the month in heading in footer. ISSUES RELATED TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DATABASES DATA SOURCE- is the individual or administration that developed the informations. Datas may come from informal beginnings. such as conversations. meetings or observations. or it may come from formal beginnings. such as a study. book or official papers. A formal beginning frequently provides informations that is logically organised. However there is no warrant to its truth. The beginning of informations is protected by the Copyright Act. Peoples can non copy another’s work without their permission and it is illegal to go against right of first publication. Most informations from the Net is protected by right of first publication. Text and audio etc. from a Web site should non be used without recognition of and permission from the proprietor. However the Copyright Act makes particular commissariats for pupils to utilize information for research intents. The pupil is allowed to utilize a sensible part of the original work if it is right cited. This includes author’s family name and initial or organisation’s name. rubric of complete work or Web page. URL. day of the month of papers. and download day of the month. ACCURACY OF DATA- is the extent to which it is free from mistakes. Datas that is collected on persons is non ever accurate. This inaccuracy may be caused by errors in assemblage or come ining informations. mismatch of informations and the individual. or outdated information. Opportunities to look into and alter wrong informations should be provided. It is frequently necessary to compare informations from a figure of different beginnings to find which information is accurate. DATA VALIDATION is used to look into the entry of informations:†¢ RANGE CHECK- is used if the information is restricted to a little scope of peculiar values. †¢ LIST CHECK- is used when the informations can be compared to a set of recognized informations. †¢ TYPE CHECK- is used to find whether the informations type is right. †¢ CHECK DIGIT- is a digit calculated from the figures of a codification figure and so added to that figure as an excess figure. DATA INTEGRITY describes the dependability of the information. Reliable information is accurate. current and relevant. There is no warrant the information on the Net is dependable as it is easy to print to the Internet. PRIVACY is the ability of an single to command personal informations. It is a major concern for those involved with databases particularly as privateness is eroded by associating databases. ACCESS to data is the extent information is available to people. The Freedom of Information Act is designed to let persons to happen out what information is being kept by the authorities and other public organic structures. It states that persons have the right to entree information where it relates to the single and does non occupy another person’s privateness. There is free release of this information. However cognizing what information is kept does non bespeak how it is being used. Peoples can utilize our penchants. failings and wonts to their advantage. Ownership and control of such informations is an ethical issue. DATA WAREHOUSE- is a database that collects information from different informations beginnings. It is a storage country of natural informations that can be analysed to help administrations to do determinations. The contents of a information warehouse are normally historical and inactive and will alter if new demands are identified. A more sophisticated attack to obtaining information is information excavation. DATA MINING is a procedure that looks for relationships and forms in the informations stored in a database. It sorts through the informations and turns up interesting and utile connexions ( eg. in the minutess at a supermarket ) . One job is that many forms occur by opportunity and have no value in doing determinations. It raises issues of privateness and ownership of informations.