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#11
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Design with no experience
On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:59:01 -0800, .:RoKsTaR:.
wrote: So I watched crystals video and went through some of the other material and have been noodling around with the program and existing databases to help figure things out. In crystals video, she talks about putting people, addresses, and phone numbers in their own table and linking them by their unique id or key number. Existing templates do this all in one table, whcih to me makes data entry easier, but I'm not sure. One table makes data entry easier... but is also more limited. Some people use more than one address; many people use more than one phone (home, office, mobile for example). It's a judgement call based on how the database will be used - some databases will be fine with one table (with its limitations), others may need separate tables. Can anyone clarify if separate tables would make the data entry portion more time consuming? Can you have one form that enters data into many tables? Sure. A Form based on Contacts with Subforms based on the Address and Phone tables. There'll actually be three forms, but they'll all be onscreen and editable at the same time. Side note : A friend of mine told me he can get me some training dvds from his office library, so I think that's my next step If they're good ones.... -- John W. Vinson [MVP] |
#12
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Design with no experience
I talked to him yesterday and he said that he can get me something called
trainsignal from their library. He says it's pretty intense and he thinks his company used it to certify some employees for access...does that sound right? |
#13
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Design with no experience
He says it something called trainsignal, but didn't know much about it. From
what I can tell, it looks pretty thorough |
#14
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Design with no experience
Whoops I dind;t think that first post showed up so I did another
one...sorry |
#15
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Design with no experience
I have not watched Crystals (even through she is an Access teaching goddess)
but I suspect that you misinterpreded something from it, and, either way, you post indicates that you have yet to really understand the important foundation items. (The table design that ends up as ) linking tables is to to properly handle "one to many" and "many to many" type relationships between the entities that you are databasing. If the entity that you are databasing in your address book is just People (i.e not organizations, companies, etc. lists of coins that those people own ) chances are that putting all of their info into one table (i.e. not separate linked tables) is the best way for you to go. |
#16
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Design with no experience
No I get the one to one, one to many, and many to many relationship. My
question was, does it make data entry more time consuming to have the info in many tables over one. Needless to say, John clarified it for me and I'll probably do many tables so I don't have to make changes later on "Fred" wrote: I have not watched Crystals (even through she is an Access teaching goddess) but I suspect that you misinterpreded something from it, and, either way, you post indicates that you have yet to really understand the important foundation items. (The table design that ends up as ) linking tables is to to properly handle "one to many" and "many to many" type relationships between the entities that you are databasing. If the entity that you are databasing in your address book is just People (i.e not organizations, companies, etc. lists of coins that those people own ) chances are that putting all of their info into one table (i.e. not separate linked tables) is the best way for you to go. |
#17
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Design with no experience
In the meantime you also can look at other Data model from another
contributer Barry Williams site here. http://www.databaseanswers.org/data_models/index.htm look something under music or student (I guess). .:RoKsTaR:. wrote: No I get the one to one, one to many, and many to many relationship. My question was, does it make data entry more time consuming to have the info in many tables over one. Needless to say, John clarified it for me and I'll probably do many tables so I don't have to make changes later on -- Please Rate the posting if helps you. Message posted via AccessMonster.com http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...esign/200911/1 |
#18
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Design with no experience
Convenience of data entry depends on how things are set up. There may be one
phone number or there may be several. You could have Phone1, Phone2 etc. fields in your main table, but you have to guess about the maximum number you will need, and you are unlikely to guess correctly. With the phone number information in a related table you need a continuous subform or other mechanism to display the phone numbers. If you make the subform big enough to display three records (phone numbers), in some cases there will be empty fields that take up room on the form, but if there are four or more phone numbers it is no problem, as you can scroll up or down as needed. There are other options, such as a phone number subform on a tab page. My point is about the overall structure, not the details of the interface. If you allow for unlimited phone numbers you can find a way that makes sense for entering and displaying the numbers. However, if you allow for three numbers in the main table there is no good way to add a fourth. I would keep in mind how often such information needs to be changed. A somewhat inconvenient data entry approach may be an acceptable trade-off for a convenient display. For payment, attendance, and materials there is no reasonable alternative to related tables. The details depend on considerations such as the relationship between materials and attendance. If you want to associate specific material with specific lessons (attendance) you may approach it differently than if you just want a listing of materials covered or books purchased or some such. .:RoKsTaR:. wrote: No I get the one to one, one to many, and many to many relationship. My question was, does it make data entry more time consuming to have the info in many tables over one. Needless to say, John clarified it for me and I'll probably do many tables so I don't have to make changes later on I have not watched Crystals (even through she is an Access teaching goddess) but I suspect that you misinterpreded something from it, and, either way, you [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] own ) chances are that putting all of their info into one table (i.e. not separate linked tables) is the best way for you to go. -- Message posted via AccessMonster.com http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...esign/200911/1 |
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