[AccessD] Names in tables - best practices

Definitely combine the tables.  Maintenance is much simpler.  If some of
the data collected is radically different for different roles, put the
common fields in the persons table and use one-to-one joins to tables
containing the unique data collected for that particular role.

Charlotte Foust

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin
at Beach Access Software
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 4:38 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: [AccessD] Names in tables - best practices

 
Dear List:
 
I have a legacy app in which the client is considering making a big
change.
There are currently threes table which have names in them - employees of
the user (a law firm), employees of the user's clients (many to many
person to client), and foreign agents.  There may be more in the future
- vendors, for example.
 
What we are considering is consolidating the three tables into a general
'Persons' table and adding a field for 'role' - containing a FK to a
Role table so we can add more roles as time goes on.
 
Is this a good idea?  The roles don't really overlap.  And there are
fields which are unique to each of the three tables. Right now I don't
think there are any duplicated names among the three tables. So one role
per name should suffice.
 
 
Any opinion welcome.
 
MTIA
 
Rocky
 

 
--
AccessD mailing list
AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com