[AccessD] Any easy way to do this?

Similar war story -- the client wanted to upgrade from an old db app. I 
explained that it would look nothing like the old db app and he said he 
understood, but when it didn't look as he expected, he heartily objected. He 
wanted something insane: When he deleted a record, he wanted to reuse the pk 
number -- no problem, just for looks, so I didn't care -- but he insisted 
that the number actually be used as the PK -- um... no. There was no 
business rule for doing so, he was just use to doing it that way with the 
old db app and I never understood that. I never finished the project. I 
wouldn't do it. I was willing to build a function that displayed an 
arbitrary number that they could track for their own purposes, but I refused 
to allow him to use that number as the pk -- a disaster looking for me to 
blame.

Susan H.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charlotte Foust" <cfoust at infostatsystems.com>
To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" 
<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Any easy way to do this?


> That may happen when you have a client who knows more or less what they 
> want that they want the system to do.  I once had a client who wanted an 
> application to replace her own homemade access app.  Problem was, she 
> insisted she wanted something better, but all she could talk about was how 
> she was going to market the product for which the application would track 
> sales.
>
> I eventually got a call from a friend of hers, outraged that I hadn't come 
> up with a final app yet, since I was the developer and should know how to 
> build it.  I politely told him that I couldn't build anything until I knew 
> what she wanted, that my crystal ball was in the shop, and that the two of 
> them were welcome to do it themselves.
>
> <Click>
>
> Charlotte Foust
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com 
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart 
> McLachlan
> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 2:27 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Any easy way to do this?
>
> I very rarely getting written specifications of what the client wants.
>
> That's what agile development methodologies are all about.
>
> Frequently my clients don't know what they want, so I start with a simple 
> prototype  and let
> the system evolve as the client realises what it is capable of providing.
>
> -- 
> Stuart
>
> On 12 Apr 2010 at 16:02, Brad Marks wrote:
>
>> "If you cannot tell me what you want how can I code it?"
>>
>>
>> I love this quote...
>>
>> Printed it in a big font and framed it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
>> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Max Wanadoo
>> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 3:49 PM
>> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Any easy way to do this?
>>
>> Good idea.
>>
>> Or, ask the client to write down in plain english what he wants.  When
>> he
>> finds he cannot express what he wants then you say, if you cannot tell
>> me
>> what you want how can I code it.
>>
>> If he can express it in plain english then it is easy to code.  I am not
>> saying effective but possible.  If you come across "doubts" refer it
>> back to
>> him to re-express what he wants.
>>
>> Amazing how many people cannot even write down what they want but they
>> "expect" the analyist/coder to "read my mind".
>>
>> Max
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
>> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Charlotte
>> Foust
>> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 9:39 PM
>> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Any easy way to do this?
>>
>> John,
>>
>> > Is there a better way?
>>
>> Shoot the client!!
>>
>> I've done stuff somewhat similar to this before using classes ... I
>> think!
>> I don't really understand what the client wants here.  Horizontal
>> fields?
>> Vertical fields?  Huh??
>>
>> Charlotte Foust
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
>> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
>> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 9:28 AM
>> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving; Sqlserver-Dba
>> Subject: [AccessD] Any easy way to do this?
>>
>>
>> My client is constantly asking for "table counts" by which I mean
>> filling in
>> a table that looks kind of like a crosstab (but isn't) but for 4 or 5
>> vertical fields for 4 or 5 horizontal fields.
>>
>> FieldK FieldL FieldX FieldZ
>> FieldA Cnt? Cnt? ? ?
>> FieldB etc etc
>> FieldC
>> FieldD
>>
>> This isn't even a groupby since we are not talking values inside of
>> FieldA,
>> but rather a total count WHERE Field In ('X','Y','Z') and Field K is not
>> null (or something similar).
>>
>> This is just killing me in terms of time to complete this as the only
>> way I
>> am thinking of is to create 16 count queries.
>>
>> Is there a better way?
>>
>> --
>> John W. Colby
>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
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