University of Helsinki Department of Computer Science, ©Reijo Siven

Exercises

• Exercises on the Relational Algebra (no credit points)
  You may discuss the solutions with Anna Pienimäki.

• In order to learn the topics taught in the course you should practice them. To assist practicing, there is a WWW-based practice software that acts as the user interface (English and Finnish) for executing SQL-queries. The program also keeps account of the tasks you have done and your solutions to these tasks. When practicing using this software you get information about possible problems in your solutions. If you are able to perform the tasks succesfully and in schedule you get also points affecting your grade on the course.

  Training software

  • Start the Training software by clicking here.

    Explanations of Oracle error codes may be found in Oracle manuals. Look for the Error Messages manual within the Oracle Server Manuals. The manuals are visible only within the domain Helsinki.fi.

  • The exercises use an example database (as a figure).
  • The software presents the tasks for you to solve. Tasks are also listed below
    • First set of tasks, deadline 15.10. at 8.
      • Solutions
    • Second set of tasks, deadline 5.11. at 16.
      • Solutions

• You may find it usefull to print the Brief SQL syntax. Date related SQL functions are the only functions you need in the first set of exercises. Date in transformed into the Finnish date format using function
  to_char(the_date, 'DD.MM.YYYY'). Date constants may be given in the American form 'DD-MON-YYYY' for example '20-SEP-2000' or in the Finnish form 'DD.MM.YYYY' for example 20.9.2000.

• The tasks are divided in two groups. Both groups have a deadline by which you have to do the tasks in order to get points. You get points of answers found successful by the software. The deadline for the first group of tasks is October 15th at 8.00, and the deadline for the second group is November 5th at 16.00. There will be an explanation session after each deadline.

  If you have any problems with the exercises, Anna.Pienimäki (email: Anna.Pienimaki@cs.helsinki.fi) is available for guidance weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10-12 in room A324. Anna is prepared to answer small questions by email, too.

  There are two (2) exercise explanation lectures (in Finnish, maybe also in English if there are enough foreign students) the first Finnish session is on October 15th at 8-10 and the second on November 5th at 16-18, both in Teollisuuskatu Auditorium. Explanation lectures are given by Anna Pienimäki.

• The answers for the exercises will be published after the explanation sessions.