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Brain Cramp Db design



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 1st, 2009, 05:27 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
babs
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 409
Default Brain Cramp Db design

I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA
  #2  
Old December 1st, 2009, 05:57 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Jeff Boyce
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,621
Default Brain Cramp Db design

see comments in-line below...


"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets.


Risky. Spreadsheets are rarely well-normalized, and Access is optimized for
relational/well-normalized data.

One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?


Why not leave it in Excel and use the filters there?

I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......


Before you try to get Access to do this, consider brushing up on relational
database design. Access is not a spreadsheet on steroids, and much of what
you know about spreadsheets will lead you the wrong way with Access.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Access MVP

--
Disclaimer: This author may have received products and services mentioned
in this post. Mention and/or description of a product or service herein
does not constitute endorsement thereof.

Any code or pseudocode included in this post is offered "as is", with no
guarantee as to suitability.

You can thank the FTC of the USA for making this disclaimer
possible/necessary.


TIA



  #3  
Old December 1st, 2009, 05:57 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Jeff Boyce
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,621
Default Brain Cramp Db design

see comments in-line below...


"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets.


Risky. Spreadsheets are rarely well-normalized, and Access is optimized for
relational/well-normalized data.

One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?


Why not leave it in Excel and use the filters there?

I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......


Before you try to get Access to do this, consider brushing up on relational
database design. Access is not a spreadsheet on steroids, and much of what
you know about spreadsheets will lead you the wrong way with Access.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Access MVP

--
Disclaimer: This author may have received products and services mentioned
in this post. Mention and/or description of a product or service herein
does not constitute endorsement thereof.

Any code or pseudocode included in this post is offered "as is", with no
guarantee as to suitability.

You can thank the FTC of the USA for making this disclaimer
possible/necessary.


TIA



  #4  
Old December 1st, 2009, 05:57 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Jeff Boyce
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,621
Default Brain Cramp Db design

see comments in-line below...


"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets.


Risky. Spreadsheets are rarely well-normalized, and Access is optimized for
relational/well-normalized data.

One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?


Why not leave it in Excel and use the filters there?

I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......


Before you try to get Access to do this, consider brushing up on relational
database design. Access is not a spreadsheet on steroids, and much of what
you know about spreadsheets will lead you the wrong way with Access.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Access MVP

--
Disclaimer: This author may have received products and services mentioned
in this post. Mention and/or description of a product or service herein
does not constitute endorsement thereof.

Any code or pseudocode included in this post is offered "as is", with no
guarantee as to suitability.

You can thank the FTC of the USA for making this disclaimer
possible/necessary.


TIA



  #5  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:30 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
John W. Vinson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,261
Default Brain Cramp Db design

On Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:27:02 -0800, BABs
wrote:

I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA


As Jeff says... Excel and Access are different. Good spreadsheet design can be
wretchedly bad table design. This is a case in point!

Spreadsheets are "wide and flat", tables are "tall and thin". A normalized
structure would have a one to many relationship with two tables:

Guages
(your existing first spreadsheet looks fine)

Readings
ReadingID primary key
ReadingDate date/time
GuageID link to Guages
Result

You cannot link a value in one table to a fieldname in another table without
all sorts of contrortions...
--

John W. Vinson [MVP]
  #6  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:30 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
John W. Vinson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,261
Default Brain Cramp Db design

On Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:27:02 -0800, BABs
wrote:

I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA


As Jeff says... Excel and Access are different. Good spreadsheet design can be
wretchedly bad table design. This is a case in point!

Spreadsheets are "wide and flat", tables are "tall and thin". A normalized
structure would have a one to many relationship with two tables:

Guages
(your existing first spreadsheet looks fine)

Readings
ReadingID primary key
ReadingDate date/time
GuageID link to Guages
Result

You cannot link a value in one table to a fieldname in another table without
all sorts of contrortions...
--

John W. Vinson [MVP]
  #7  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:30 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
John W. Vinson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,261
Default Brain Cramp Db design

On Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:27:02 -0800, BABs
wrote:

I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA


As Jeff says... Excel and Access are different. Good spreadsheet design can be
wretchedly bad table design. This is a case in point!

Spreadsheets are "wide and flat", tables are "tall and thin". A normalized
structure would have a one to many relationship with two tables:

Guages
(your existing first spreadsheet looks fine)

Readings
ReadingID primary key
ReadingDate date/time
GuageID link to Guages
Result

You cannot link a value in one table to a fieldname in another table without
all sorts of contrortions...
--

John W. Vinson [MVP]
  #8  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:31 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Roger Carlson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 824
Default Brain Cramp Db design

If you're talking about importing your spreadsheet data into Access, you
need to normalize your second table.

If you're unfamiliar with normalization, see my tutorials page he
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/f...ts.asp?TID=238, especially
"What Is Normalization?" and "Entity-Relationship Diagramming".

Then you can use the method in my sample:NormalizeDenormalize.mdb (
intermediate ) to normalize your gauge readings table.

--
--Roger Carlson
MS Access MVP
Access Database Samples: www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
Want answers to your Access questions in your Email?
Free subscription:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/...UBED1=ACCESS-L



"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA



  #9  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:31 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Roger Carlson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 824
Default Brain Cramp Db design

If you're talking about importing your spreadsheet data into Access, you
need to normalize your second table.

If you're unfamiliar with normalization, see my tutorials page he
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/f...ts.asp?TID=238, especially
"What Is Normalization?" and "Entity-Relationship Diagramming".

Then you can use the method in my sample:NormalizeDenormalize.mdb (
intermediate ) to normalize your gauge readings table.

--
--Roger Carlson
MS Access MVP
Access Database Samples: www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
Want answers to your Access questions in your Email?
Free subscription:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/...UBED1=ACCESS-L



"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA



  #10  
Old December 1st, 2009, 08:31 PM posted to microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign
Roger Carlson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 824
Default Brain Cramp Db design

If you're talking about importing your spreadsheet data into Access, you
need to normalize your second table.

If you're unfamiliar with normalization, see my tutorials page he
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/f...ts.asp?TID=238, especially
"What Is Normalization?" and "Entity-Relationship Diagramming".

Then you can use the method in my sample:NormalizeDenormalize.mdb (
intermediate ) to normalize your gauge readings table.

--
--Roger Carlson
MS Access MVP
Access Database Samples: www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
Want answers to your Access questions in your Email?
Free subscription:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/...UBED1=ACCESS-L



"BABs" wrote in message
...
I am building a new db from excel spreadsheets. One spreadsheet has gauge
information: (each row/record is a different gauge)
gauge serial number - calibration date - load range - location
The second spreadsheet ahs gauge readings by date: (each row/record is a
different date containg data from all gauges)
date - gauge1 - gauge2 - gauge3 - gauge4 - etc
How can I set up the db so I can query for results by date or by gauge
number?
I'm drawing a blank on how to link a row/record to a column......
TIA



 




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