The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Computer Science

Hi Guys! If you do not have anything helpful to say, please go away. Many thanks!
Anyway, I have not yet learned about sequential files and I am curious to know how:

a sequential file can be searched more quickly than an ordered serial file
how one can justify the use of separate entities to store the patient and appointment data

Thanks for your time, I really appreciate the help.
A sequential file is simply a file where the data has been ordered acording to a certain criteria of the keys eg. in alphebtical order based on the name field. If you're asking why a sequential file can be searched quicker than a serial file. Well that's because in a serial file, you have to go searching through every single entry to find what you want. While, when it's ordered you can perform various search algorithms on it such as binary search, bubble search etc. which are quicker. To give a real life scenario, it's the difference between going to your library to find a book you want, where everything is ordered vs. finding the book you want in a giant pile of thousands of books. Which one is going to take longer?

In terms of your second question, I would say it's because of confidentiality reasons. So only the doctor should really have access to the patient data, while it's alright for the receptionists and other workers to have access to the appointment data since they need to make the appointments. But you don't want your receptionists to also have access to the paitent data, so you put them on separate files and simply give the receptionist the appointment data file and the doctor the patient file to look after.
Reply 2
Avatar for two cities
two cities
OP
12
Hi Bob! You are an absolute genius. That is true you know, in regards to the second answer.
Thanks for your time and the giant pile ought to take longer :smile:

Thank you again.
no idea
Reply 4
Avatar for two cities
two cities
OP
12
Original post by RegrettingAS
no idea


Not helpful. If you are regretting AS, change what you are doing.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you