[Informatics] Informatics data structures

[Garth, Lucas A]

Hi
A bit late to the conversation but you can also convert ranges to a name (works somewhat like a variable) in Excel.
A user could highlight a row or a column and then add a name for this particular range in the lovely little box next to the formula bar called the name box.

I know it’s semantics but it enables a structure for a query-styled SUM function to be used in a spreadsheet

LG


From: informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark
Sent: Monday, 5 September 2016 3:28 PM
To: Year 12 VCE Informatics Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Informatics] Informatics data structures

Hi Quentin

Oooh. Your reference to "within and across sheets in spreadsheets" made me think of worksheets, which may possibly be considered a 'structure'. Thanks!

I consider a 'structure' to be a defined and organised collection of more primitive entities.
 - A record is a defined set of fields.
 - A table is an organised set of records.
 - A VLOOKUP table in Excel is a delimited selection of rows and columns.

With such a definition in mind, it is interesting that Excel does not treat rows and columns as structures.
It does not recognise the concepts of fields or records, except when groups of cells are defined in VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP formulae. (Are there others?)

AFAIK there is no spreadsheet function that can do something like SUM(Column A) or AVERAGE(Row 32). Instead, the range of the relevant cells must be enumerated, e.g. SUM(A1:Z10).

Happy I am to be contradicted

Yoda Mark

On 5 September 2016 at 14:00, Lydall, Quentin C <lydall.quentin.c at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:lydall.quentin.c at edumail.vic.gov.au>> wrote:
I am sure that data structures refers to the tables, records and fields in RDBMS as you say, Mark, and to rows and columns within and across sheets in spreadsheets. The terminology is what we used in commerce and industry as analyst programmers.
Quentin Lydall
Teacher
 [cid:image001.png at 01D20826.40965860]
34 Alkara Avenue
Lara, Victoria 3212
P: 03 5282 8988 F: 03 5282 818
M: 0412523007
E:lydall.quentin.c at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:lydall.quentin.c at edumail.vic.gov.au>
www.larasc.vic.edu.au<http://www.larasc.vic.edu.au/>  <http://www.facebook.com/LaraSecondaryCollege>

From: <informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au>> on behalf of Mark <mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>>
Reply-To: Year 12 VCE Informatics Teachers' Mailing List <informatics at edulists.com.au<mailto:informatics at edulists.com.au>>
Date: Monday, 5 September 2016 at 1:47 PM
To: Year 12 VCE Informatics Teachers' Mailing List <informatics at edulists.com.au<mailto:informatics at edulists.com.au>>
Subject: [Informatics] Informatics data structures

How now, brown cow,

Info U3O2 KK3 refers to  "data structures relevant to selected software tools".

First, I wonder, who has 'selected' these tools - the examiner or the student?

- If the examiner has selected them, they have forgotten to name them in the study design.
- If the student selects them, how can they be examined, apart from, "Select and name a data structure. (1 mark)"

Then I wondered which data structures are relevant to Info.

None is named in the study design. Sure, SD gets it easy: it is told to cover arrays, records, and associative arrays, but Info has to work it out alone.

Are we to interpret the KK as referring to:

- VLOOKUP tables (Excel)
- tables, records and fields (RDBMS)

- files? But not even CSV is covered in Info and (obviously) scary stuff like XML won't apply.

Can anyone think of any other relevant data structures for Informatics?

What if we just teach kids the Expectiminimax Tree, and the Fibonacci Heap and hope they can mention them on the exam?

With a friendly moo,
Mark

--

Mark Kelly

mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>
http://vceit.com

--

Mark Kelly

mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>
http://vceit.com

IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education and Training.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/informatics/attachments/20160906/6b2bfd73/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 10183 bytes
Desc: image001.png
Url : http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/informatics/attachments/20160906/6b2bfd73/image001-0001.png