Andrea,

Database Design by Email is dangerous.

I would suggest you consider a few approaches:

1. Learn a bit about Relational Database design. (The main thing to
concentrate on is the process of Relational Data Analysis (aka
Normalisation))

Come back to the newsgroup with specific questions about particular
problems with the database AND the application(s)

2. Consider employing a local developer.

3. Consider employing a developer who can at least make a personal visit to
collect the user requirements and collate the data sources (current forms,
reports, spreadsheets, register) and sit down and talk through your
requirements.

4 Consider employing a remote developer

In cases 2, 3 and 4 get references, check with their previous clients and
look at samples of the work they have done. There are many many cowboys
around who be little more than users themselves who think they know what
they are doing.

Whatever approach make sure you own the source code so that you can tweak
the design in future either in-house or with another developer.

5. You could try the newsgroups but they are really best suited to an answer
to a specific question

If you go with this approach make sure you evaluate all the answers and note
any disagreements between other posters, this will assume that you have
learnt a little bit more about Relational Database Design.

If you are fairly confident in the process of creating forms and reports you
may just get the developer to create the database and you can do the
applications.

6. Check to see if anyone in the same line as you has done something similar
and see if you can make a mutually acceptable arrangement.

BTW Concentrate on getting the database design correct (or as correct as you
can) before worrying about Forms, Reports etc. You cannot get out of a
database what you do not put in.

Let your watchwords be Data Integrity and Data Consistency and ensure that
the developer is as concerned as you about the accuracy of your data.
Duplicate data is a killer to any system, and more so if it contains
important financial information.

BTW Keep this a secret, designing a good relational database is actually
rather straightfoward, if you understand the business (or rather the data
and how the business uses the data) and how to normalise data.

Using Access to create the applications becomes so much easier once you have
a good relational database design . Access is still one of the best tools to
design applications that use relational databases.

--
Slainte

Craig Alexander Morrison
Crawbridge Data (Scotland) Limited


"andreainpanama" wrote in message
...
When I woke up this morning and saw that there were over 20 postings to my
op, I thought, Oh no, what have I done, asking for professional help on
this
site and now I have many developers offering me services and others
reprimanding them for advertising on this site!

Imagine my surprise and glee when I saw that all of these responses where
still actually related to my original post!

Thanks guys, but now I am more confused than ever. My original post said
what I want, but it didn't go into detail about what I currently have. I
will post back with a better description of my current set up, and
hopefully
get some help in real world language. Are any of you available by phone?
It's really cheap to call from here.

Thanks so much,

Andrea

"Jamie Collins" wrote:


andreainpanama wrote:
I want a way that every single person has a
client ID number.

Clients
=======
ClientID
LastName
FirstName
NationalityID

How do you know whether today's Jean Dupont from France is the Jean
Dupont from France who stayed here in July last year or is the Jean
Dupont from France who stayed here in July last year e.g. do you
require them to quote their ClientID number when repeat booking?
Another approach could be to record their passport number, with perhaps
a different identiifer for locals.

Also note that NationalityID might be better as country of residence
using the ISO 3166 standard country codes.

Jamie.

--