[AccessD] Database design? PLEASE ADVISE

Hi Sander

As always, I guess I'm going to answer your question with a question; Is
there any conceivable reason to normalise the data? Is this database ever
going to be used for data entry? It sounds like it's more of a data
processing facility than a database as such. I'm no normalisation guru, but
I have to say I'm favouring your approach from what you've said.

Roz

-----Original Message-----
From: S D [mailto:accessd667 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: 27 May 2004 06:49
To: accessd
Subject: [AccessD] Database design? PLEASE ADVISE


Hi group,
 
I've worked on several projects where interfaces (text messages) where
imported (from customers/third parties) and exported (to custumers/third
parties). I've always seen/developed the database using tables with the
exact layout of the interface. So if an interface has 4 fields (orderid,
article, price, date) like this: orderid article price date
22654hammer20.5020040526 
 
I would create a table with these 4 fields, add some extra columns (imported
date, last updated, + some columns to link to other tables for master-detail
lines etc.)
 
Now I'm in the proces of developing a completely new system and these guys
want to normalize all data. So the complete message is going to be scrambled
into bits and pieces. Somehow I cannot find any good arguments to convince
them that this is NOT a good approach. The only thing I seem to have
accomplished is that the understand the risk of these interfaces changing
(wich WILL happen) over time.
 
Questions:
Is my approach correct/the better one? Why?
 
Any ideas?
 
TIA
 
Sander

		
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