Basic newbie question about table layout.

[mac]

We need to set up a database to record the jobs we work on for our
clients and the names and

addresses of the people/companies (clients, contractors etc.) that work
with us on these

jobs.

Two people have come up with two different designs which I have tried
to illustrate below where L/T = link table.

[NAMES]<-->[L/T]<-->[ADDRESSES]<-->[L/T]<-->[JOBS]<-->[L/T]<-->(back
to)[NAMES]

[PEOPLE]<-->[L/T]<-->[COMPANIES]<-->[L/T]<-->[JOBS]
With this option company and job addresses would be stored in COMPANIES
and JOBS tables.

The first (circular layout) I think is too complicated but it does give
a lot of scope for

jobs to have many names and many addresses, addresses to have many
names and many jobs and

names to have many addresses and many jobs.

The second is simpler in my mind as I can relate this better to the
real world as jobs can

have many companies and companies have people.

I would be grateful to receive comments from the Access experts here on
which one we should go for.

 

[Mike Revis]

mac

Start out by listing "on a piece of paper" all the information (data) you
expect to be able to retrieve from your database.

Then group the data into unique entities.

Entities are unique segments of data.

Presumably each Job is unique

A table for job data.
Contains data that is unique to each job.
A job can have many different companies involved.
A table for company data.
Contains data that is unique to each company.
Companies can have many different contacts within the company.
A table for contacts.
Contains data that is unique to each contact.
A Job may be performed by Employees.
A table for employees.
Contains data that is unique to each employee on that job.
A Job may require materials.
A table for materials.
Contains material that is unique to that job.
A Job may be performed in many locations.
A table for locations.
Contains data the is unique to each location of that job.
A job may be performed by many contractors.
A table for contractors.
Contains data that is unique to each contractor on that job.

Not all of these may be applicable to your particular requirements and
should be organized so they make sense in your particular application.
You have to think about the data as it relates to your real world
requirements.

See "about designing a database" in Access help and feel free to ask
specific questions as you progress.

Mike