Checking data

Chapter 7
Prepared by:Sir Mazhar Javed

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Consequences of errors
 Customers becomes angry if they are sent
bills that are too large and companies lose
money if bills are too small.
 Wrong decisions are made by the managers
because the decisions are based on wrong
information
 A company could be prosecuted under the
Data protection Act 1998 if the incorrect
information causes the person concerned
some kind of loss
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How are errors avoided
Verification
 Checking the data which has been copied from one medium to
another to see that it still represents the original data.
 Checking that what is on the input document is exactly the same
as what is entered into computer
 Examples :
 When data is encoded into disc, a keyboard operator reads the
data from a source document. The data is then verified by a
second operator, who retypes it all.
 A magnetic tape cassette can be used to store the contents of
parts of a computer’s main store. If the tape is rewound the
computer can read what is recorded and verify that the contents
have been saved correctly.

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Methods
 1.Double entry: Two people trying in the same data
and only if the data is identical is it accepted for
further processing
 Problem: two people need to be paid for doing the
same job.
 They make identical errors so the mistake still goes
unnoticed.
 2.Proof reading: carefully checking what has been
type in against what was on the original document

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Validation
 Checking of data before the main processing to see that it is
acceptable for the process
 Is the process of detecting any data that is inaccurate, incomplete or
unreasonable
 Performed by a computer program.
 Validations programs will usually perform some or all of the following

Types of checks.
 Character type checks :
 The right type of characters have been entered.
 such checks detects numbers where characters should have been
entered and vice versa
 Range checks:
 Performed on numbers to make sure that lie specified range
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Validations checks types
 Presence Check:
 When entering data in database the completion of
some fields may be optional.
 There are certain fields which must contain data and
the system will not allow them to remain blank. E.g
National Insurance Number in a payroll system
 Hash Totals:
 A hash total is meaningless total
 Control Total :
 Like a hash total except that the total has some
meaning.

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Validation checks
 Batch header check: The total number of records in the batch should
be calculated by the computer and compared with the figure on the
batch header.
 The control total and hash total are also calculated and compared.
 Spelling checkers: Spelling checkers are not just used in word
processing software. Any software where accurate text needs to be
entered can have a spell checker facility.
 Format Check: the code perhaps has a pattern of 2 letters followed by
4 numbers. The quantity and price must be numeric.
 Lookup Tables:
 Stock items are given a unique code to identify them.
 Whenever this code is used, it is checked against a table stored by the
computer to make sure that it is valid stock code.
 If the code is not in the table it is rejected, thus preventing any processing
using incorrect codes.

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Validation check type
 Check digits:
 When any large number is input to a computer, either using a
keyboard or using a direct input device such as a barcode
reader, there is always a chance of errors.
 These large numbers are important, it could be product number,
employee number or account number.
 In this additional number is included, placed at the end of the
original number. This additional number is called a check digit
and is calculated from the other number
 Example : when the account number is input the computer cuts
off the last digit which is the check digit, it then uses the rest of
the numbers to recalculate the check digit, which it then
compares with the removed digit. If the number are the same
then the account number has been input correctly.
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Validation checks
 Custom dictionaries:
 Despite having a huge dictionary, most word processors still fail
to recognize certain words. There are two types
 Proper names – names of person and places
 Specialist word used in a narrow field, medical terms, legal
terms.
 Length checks:
 Sometimes a certain item of information is always of a certain
length: it contain a set number of characters.
 In a national insurance number ha more or fewer characters than
this, then the length check will alert you to the fact that it has
been entered incorrectly.

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Validation Checks
Parity errors:
 When data is passed along a communication line it is important that the
data is not corrupted in any way and if it is.
 The checking of data after it has passed along a communication line is
performed by using a parity bit.
 The computer adds up the number of bits in one byte and if the parity is
different to the parity setting the computer will report an error. Use either
even or odd parity.
 Example: we sending the letter c then it bits in ASCII is 1000011
 In this there is three 1s in this code and odd parity is used, if we add 0 bit in
left side then it becomes odd parity and if 1 is added on left then it becomes
even parity.
 How Modem work: modem have a chip inside them to deal with parity
checks,the sending modems adds the parity bits and receving unit
calculates what parity bit should be .
 If error occurred transmission parity will no longer is observed checks is that
 Problem: if more than one error occurs, parity can still appear to correct

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Types of errors
 Transcription errors:
 Transcription errors occur due to misreading or mistyping data.
 This may be caused by bad handwriting or confusing, for
instance, the number 5 with the letter S or 0 with O.
 Transposition errors:
 Occurs when two digits or letters are swapped around.
 If you are typing in data at high speed you don not always look at
the screen and it is very common to end up with say ‘ot’ instead
“to” or 5124 instead of 5214. it is estimated that about 70% of all
errors are transposition errors
 It is estimated that about 70% of all errors are transposition
errors.

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How to avoid errors
 Despite all the checks that we can perform on
the ‘raw’ data before it is accepted into a
system some errors are bound to occur .
 If data is entered into a system via a

keyboard, the simplest way of reducing errors

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Checking of error in word
processing
 There are two situations to consider
 Where the typist has been given a copy of a document or where
a document is on an audio tape.
 In this situation a typist will be working at high speed and will be
looking at the document or listening the tape. The spell checking
facility on the word processor can then be used.
 The second situation is where someone types their own
document
 This is much slower process. A slow typist will probably correct
any typing mistakes as the text is typed.
 The document still need spell checking for proof reading.

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