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{\info{\title 315 Project Suggestions}{\author Tuttle}{\creatim\yr2000\mo1\dy25\hr16\min6}{\operator Sharon Tuttle}{\revtim\yr2002\mo1\dy28\hr16\min41}{\printim\yr2002\mo1\dy28\hr16\min41}{\comment StarWriter}{\vern5690}}\deftab720
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\par Spring 2002
\par }
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\par Spring 2002
\par }
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\pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f2\fs20\b\qc CIS 315 - Database Design and Implementation - Spring 2002
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f2\fs28\b\qc Project Suggestions
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f2\fs20\b 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs20 These suggestions are intended to help give you ideas for how to get started with your project proposal. These suggestions do not themselves meet the proposal requirements given in the project handout! You are expected to modify and customize from here to 
result in a project proposal that does meet those requirements.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1260 
\par The first suggestion is to select/devise a scenario of interest to you. If you have particular expertise with your chosen scenario, so much the better. You will be spending quite a bit of time this semester on this project, and such interest/expertise can 
make it easier to do so. Note, also, that a scenario that you understand will likely be easier to model than one you do not (but some scenarios are inherently ... "interesting" to model, regardless.)
\par 
\par Here are some "classical" categories for database project scenarios --- you are {\b not}{\b0  limited to these, by any means, but reading over them might help you to come up with an idea for your project proposal. Some outstanding past projects that I can think of d
o not fit in any of these categories --- but other outstanding ones have been firmly in a category below.}
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1260 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Personal-hobby-related 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab you have a lending library of comic books, cd's, science fiction books, etc.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab you are having trouble keeping track of who is borrowing what, or what copies of what work you have in what condition.
\par *\tab you would like to be able to organize items in a variety of ways, perhaps on a whim.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Who is currently borrowing work X?
\par *\tab Which works by Y do I have?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a report listing what each person has borrowed, in alphabetical order by person, with the works borrowed by each person in alphabetical order by title.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab You already have expertise in the area. and
\par 
\par *\tab You may even have a vested interest already in developing a database for the scenario.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li1005\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx2265 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab The major pitfall here is that, if the hobby is essentially a collection whose contents you wish to store in a database, the resulting database {\b may} have too simple a structure to be suitable for a CIS 315 project. Part of the purpose of the project is to
 give you practice dealing with database modelling and design, and even if your collection contains thousands of items, it may still boil down to only one or two categories of items. Note that a category that contains subcategories is likely to "count" as 
only one entity of the five that will eventually be required (as a minimum) in your project model.
\par 
\par *\tab It is also worth noting that the difference between an entity, and a characteristic of an entity (an attribute), can be a particular issue here. Is the author or singer of a work an entity? If so, it should have other important characteristics besides hi
s/her name (an entity generally should have several characteristics/attributes...), and it should itself be related to some other entity or entities.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Sports-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a sports league --- be it baseball, football, softball, soccer, etc. This could be at the professional or college or amateur levels.
\par *\tab a sports club, especially one that organizes and/or participates in tournaments, loans equipment, schedules games/matches, etc.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of players, various player or team statistics, which team is playing where when, who is supposed to officiate which matches, etc.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab for what team does player X play?
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a report showing the top player in a particular statistic from each team, ordered from best in that statistic on down.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab It is usually easy to come up with example data, to come up with questions someone within the scenario might want to ask, and to come up with example reports.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab The concepts of "game" and/or "match" are likely to be more complex to model than you might suspect. Likewise, if statistics play a role (as they often do in sports), modelling these can also be trickier than you might suspect.
\par 
\par *\tab Be careful to define the scope of your scenario specifically, and to also specify who the principal users in the scenario are.
\par 
\par *\tab Avoid the temptation to enter huge quantities of "real" data, just because it is readily available --- remember, the project's goal is to develop and implement a demonstrable prototype.
\par 
\par *\tab Be careful to distinguish between what needs to be stored, and what can be computed if you have stored the appropriate raw data.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Tournament-related:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab (yes, this might be related to the previous category...)
\par 
\par *\tab a club whose activities include attending and/or organizing tournaments of any kind that you can imagine --- fencing, bridge, academic competition, rugby, chess, gymnastics, etc.
\par *\tab can be on a "higher" level --- a regional fencing organization that keeps track of multiple tournament results for multiple clubs --- or "lower" level --- all the details required for a single academic (such as College Bowl or Quiz Bowl) tournament, incl
uding what teams attended, what players were on each team, what games occurred, who officiates each match, etc.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of who has already played who, and when.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab What were the scores of all the matches that X played in?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab A schedule, in chronological order, showing who is playing who, where, and when.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Especially if teams involving multiple people are involved, it is usually not hard to devise a scenario including at least five distinct entities.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab as mentioned in the sports-related section, the concepts of "game" and/or "match" are likely to be more complex to model than you might suspect. Likewise, if statistics play a role, modelling these can also be trickier than you might suspect.
\par 
\par *\tab Be careful to distinguish between what needs to be stored, and what can be computed if you have stored the appropriate raw data.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1845 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Retail-Business-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a clothing store, a food store, etc.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of inventory, of employee hours, of customer special orders, etc.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab How many of item X do we currently have in stock?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab A listing of the current inventory, organized by category, in reverse order of quantity of each item.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Relatively easy to understand/imagine.
\par 
\par *\tab Quite practical.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab In these scenarios, it is quite likely that inventory will turn out to be a supertype entity, with different types of inventory as subtype entities. These, altogether, will count as a single entity when seeing if your project has at least the minimum req
uired number of entities.
\par 
\par *\tab Be careful to distinguish between what needs to be stored, and what can be computed if you have stored the appropriate raw data. (A report does not necessarily correspond to a database entity!)
\par 
\par *\tab Handling employee time schedules can be tricky.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Service-based-business-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a catering business, a doctor's or vet's office, a repair business.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of appointments or bookings, keeping track of a patient's/customer's history.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab What are our bookings/appointments for today/a particular date?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab for each customer, what repairs have been done/appointments has he/she had, in chronological order.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Relatively easy to understand/imagine.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\f0\fs20\tx1560{\b0\cf0 *\tab possible pitfalls:}
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Temporal issues of appointments can be tricky (as can handling employee time schedules, if  applicable).
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab {\b May} be slightly more likely to have a person-related supertype/subtype situation.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1845 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Non-profit-organization-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab creating a database for dealing with day-to-day issues of a philanthropic organization.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of who volunteers when, the status of current projects, and donations.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Who was our most generous donor in the past 6 months?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab An alphabetical list of current projects and who is volunteering for each of them (in alphabetical order of last name within each project).
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab relatively easy to imagine converting this for actual use by a local organization, perhaps.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab {\b May} be slightly more likely to have a person-related supertype/subtype situation.
\par 
\par *\tab Modelling donors and volunteers, if applicable, can be tricky.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Lesson/Course-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab the activities of an organization such as the Humboldt Music Academy, or of a small group of individuals (or a business) offering courses (in some sport, for example, or dog training classes, or skiing lessons, etc.)
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of which lessons/courses still have openings, or what the prerequisites are for a particular course.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Are there still any openings in the coming semester's Tuesday-Thursday section/offering of course X? 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\f0\fs20\tx1845{\b0\cf0 *\tab list the courses in alphabetical order, listing the current enrollees in each in alphabetical order by last name.}
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab as a student, you may already be able to guess how a database could be useful in such a scenario. (Be careful, however --- these {\b can}{\b0  be tricky to model; see below.)}
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Beware of the difference between a course, and a particular offering of that course. (They are {\b not} the same entity...)
\par 
\par *\tab Consider: does your scenario include just the "current" offerings, or do you want it to "carry over" over time (over multiple "semesters", for example)? 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Song/Music-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab (this is often related to one of the previous categories, as well)
\par 
\par *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab maintaining a musical recording library, or a recording studio, or the affairs of a musical band or bands.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of who is currently borrowing a particular album, or which bands have reserved which recording studios when, or when the band is performing in which locations.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Which artists have recorded versions of a particular song?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab List, for each band (in alphabetical order by band), their coming concerts, in chronological order.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab if you are musically inclined, you may already have an interest in such a project.
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab A project making a database of your CD collection is, quite likely, {\b not} going to be structurally complex enough to serve as a CIS 315 project. (It can be hard to reach the requirement of at least 5 distinct, substantial, not-counting-subypes entities.) N
ote that the above possibilities thus go a bit further, also involving loans of recordings (and thus who is borrowing them, also), which bands are recording what in what studios, what concerts are occurring when, etc.
\par 
\par *\tab It can be trickier to model the concepts related to musical albums than you might suspect. (Consider singles vs. EP's vs. compilation albums vs. movie soundtracks...) You also need to be careful about the distinction between a song, and a particular reco
rding of that song.
\par 
\par *\tab It is also worth noting that the difference between an entity, and a characteristic of an entity (an attribute), can be a particular issue here. Is the group who recorded a song an entity? How about the author of a song? If so, it should have other impor
tant characteristics besides his/her/its name (an entity generally should have several characteristics/attributes...), and it should itself be related to some other entity or entities.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs24\b\tx1260 Movie/Video-related
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab (this is often related to one of the previous categories, as well)
\par 
\par *\tab for example:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab a "video" store is the classic scenario, here, although it is not the only possibility.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical problem within such a scenario:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab keeping track of all of the copies and formats of different movies (which are currently rented? which are overdue? which need repair or cleaning? which are available in DVD?)
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical question a user might ask:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab Are there currently any unrented DVD's of movie X?
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab example of a typical report:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab List the most-rented movie titles of the past month, most-rented first.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 
\par *\tab advantages that leap to mind:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab relatively easy to see how a database might be helpful (although, beware --- it can be trickier to actually model than you might think. See below.)
\par 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1560 *\tab possible pitfalls:
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 *\tab See the comment under the Song/Music-related category. Likewise, a database of one's movie or video collection is unlikely, by itself, to be structurally complex enough to serve as a CIS 315 project. A video store, a video library where loans are tracked
, etc., are examples of more feasible options.
\par 
\par *\tab A classic oversight is to not note the difference between a movie, and a particular recording of a movie.
\par 
\par *\tab Beware ---  a person-related supertype/subtype situation may very well arise when you try to model actors, directors, etc.
\par 
\par *\tab It is also worth noting that the difference between an entity, and a characteristic of an entity (an attribute), can be a particular issue here. Is the director who directed a movie an entity? If so, it should have other important characteristics besides
 his/her name (an entity generally should have several characteristics/attributes...), and it should itself be related to some other entity or entities.
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li300\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\b\tx1560 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1260 
\par \pard\plain \s1\f1\li585\ri0\fi-300\cf0\f0\fs20\tx1845 
\par 
\par }