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Old November 18th, 2009, 10:19 AM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
hannah
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Posts: 66
Default Table design help!

Thanks Fred - you've given me a lot to think about and I'm feeling much more
happy about approaching it. Thanks again, can't tell you how much I
appreciate it.

"Fred" wrote:

Hannah,

Great answers.

Answering your one question on #2, anythign is possible. Now, is it
feasible for you......answer is also yes if you are just recording, printing
and displaying.....I.E. not having Access do anything fancy based on that.

I'm going to assume an answer to a question which I forgot to ask: Is a
particular question usually used just for one survey? I will assume "yes".
If you want to use it for more than one survey you will just re-enter it as
"another" questions. This avoids the complexity of databasing a many-to-many
relationship

Again, the response would be a bood rather than a post, bust here's my guess
at a framework.

Shorten my overly long explanatory table and field names. Add fields as
desired with info on the entity (with one-to-one correspondence to that
entity) which is databased in the table.

Make a table "Questionaires" with fields:

-QuestionaireNumber (Autonumber, Primary Key (PK)
-QuestionaireNameOrDescription (text)



Make a table" InstancesOfSomeoneTakingOfASurvey with fields:

-SurveyInstanceNumber (Autonumber, Primary Key (PK)
-QuestionaireNumber Integer, not autonumber, this will be a Foreign Key
(FK) Note: FK is a use, not a setting. The subject number will be put
into this field.
-Fields for name and all desired info on the person who took it

Make a table "Questions" with the following fields:

QuestionNumber (Autonumber, PK) (use these numbers in your paper forms....if
not possible, make another field to store the question number from the paper
form)
QuestionText
QuestionAireNumber (integer) This is a FK which will take record which
questionaire the question is for

Maka a table "PossibleAnswers" wiht these fields
QuestionNumber (insert the number of the question that the answer is
applicable to
AnswerNumber (Autonumber, PK)
Answer (this holds any desired answers like "a", "b", "Yes" "No" and maybe
the entire text of answers if you wish)
Answer Description Description of the answers if not contained in the
text. For example, if an answer is "a", this says that taht means "I prefer
green"
FollowUpQuestionNumber When this answer lead to a perticular next
question, record that questions number here


Make a table "InstancesOfAQuestionBeingAnswered" with these fields:

"AnswerInstanceNumber" Autonumber, PK.
"QuestionNumber"
"Answer" For now, just manually enter the answer. Later, get someone whoc
is smarter than me to tell you how to make a dropdown that shows th epossible
answers specific to that question)
"SurveyInstanceNumber"

Well, that's just shooting form the hip (but hopefull a good structure as a
foundation)