[AccessD] Mucking around

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Wed Sep 26 09:37:50 CDT 2007


This is definitely a "more work than it is worth to clean up" kind of thing
for existing databases.  It is also a "don't do that" kind of thing for new
databases that you are designing.

And having said that, the "I do it that way and this is why" email will now
start to flow.


John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John Bartow
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:19 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Mucking around

Unfortunately, at times one has to work with what has been laid out before
hand.

This method works fine with views (queries). Its basically a matter hat
relies on the of documentation by the original DBA and comprehension by the
DBA.

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:54 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Mucking around

The general argument is that you have THREE columns.

PKID
TypeOfDataID
Data 

The TypeOfDataID might be:

1	Cities
2	States
3	Name prefixes (Mr. etc)
4	Address Types
Etc
Etc

So you might have data that looks like:

1	2	CA
2	2	AZ
3	3	Mr	
4	3	Mrs
5	4	Home
6	4	Work
7	4	Shipping
8	1	San Diego

Thus you have place all of your single column "type of something" data into
a single table with another column which allows you to find only the cities,
or states, or types of addresses or (place your list data type here).

It works, but it causes headaches, but people do it.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Susan Harkins
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:42 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Mucking around

Except that tables are supposed to store like data, not data that simply
looks similar and happens to have the same structure.  I would think the
data's purpose matters more in the decision than the data's structure. 

Susan H. 

LOL.  Proper normalization says that it is not necessary. Never the less
there are those who argue vociferously for this method.


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

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


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




More information about the AccessD mailing list