Data Capturing
- Data has to be entered into a database:
- Manual Methods – entered by a user, cheques scanned at the bank using magnetic ink character recognition (MICR). The amount has to be manually entered.
- Lottery Tickets – exams can be read using optical mark recognition, or other types of forms can include optical character recognition.
- Smart Card Readers – scanners used at airports to scan passports.
Selecting and Managing Data
- Data can be selected before its added to a database, if it matches a criteria.
- Speed camera, only takes pictures of cars, that exceed the speed limit.
- Once in the database, SQL can be used to select data from multiple tables.
- Ordering stock, updating or adding data.
Exchanging Data
- Method of transferring data between computers without the need for human intervention Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
- Can be used in different applications – Exams board use this to send results to school.
Computer Science 