[AccessD] Database design? PLEASE ADVISE

I'm going to buck the trend, Sander.  If you are relating tables ("link
to other tables for master-detail lines") then normalize because if you
have linked tables, your data isn't really flat and partial
normalization can get you in big trouble.  However, from your
description, the tables already sound lilke they're fairly normalized,
so perhaps we're talking at cross purposes.  The only way to further
normalize the data with be with links to an articles table unless the
prices are standardized, so what bits and pieces would you have?

Charlotte Foust

-----Original Message-----
From: S D [mailto:accessd667 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 9:49 PM
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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