Need help with tables setup

[Jan Il]

Hi all - Access 2002 XP - W2K

I am a regular responder on a few newsgroups and forums, and needless to say
my resource and reference files are getting quite large, and take some time
to sort through. I would like to develop an Access database for easier
access, however, I am not sure which type of format would be best. I was
thinking something along the lines of a library book type setup, with a
section for each newsgroup. I was hoping that one of the regulars here may
also use something of this nature to keep track of their references and a
sorting system.....of sorts.

I have been sampling with a few formats that I have used previously, but,
they don't really seem to provide the system that I would like to have for
researching.

Once I am able to determine the type of format to use, I can better decide
how to set up the tables and relationships. I'm just not sure how this
should be done, and I would truly appreciate any suggestions or references
to such information if possible. Or, if someone has a better system, I
would really be interested to hear about it.

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

 

[Jeff Conrad]

Hi Jan,

Tony Toews has already done all the work for you.
Download his newsgroup "helper" database here:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/newsgroupanswersmdb.htm

You can begin collecting links, sample code, NG posts you
may use sometime, etc. I've been using this for quite a
while now and it has proved very useful in looking for
code that I think, "Boy, I remember saving that in here."
Also makes it real easy to respond to post topics that I
have already typed something up in the past.

I would just have one database for each newsgroup. Like
one for Access, one for Excel, one for PowerPoint, etc.

I would send you my Access one (~250 items), however, I am
unable to at the moment. Our office satellite connection
is down right now. It's not the modem this time, it is the
satellite itself! We are dead in the water; no e-mail, no
Internet, no NGs yesterday, today, and no estimate on when
things will be back to normal. I could be cut off for
quite a while. Noooo! I'm not even sure if this message
will go through as I am trying something (don't ask). So I
hope you see this message and good luck with Tony's file.
It should be just what you need.

 

[Jan Il]

Hey Jeff!

Hi Jan,

Tony Toews has already done all the work for you.
Download his newsgroup "helper" database here:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/newsgroupanswersmdb.htm

You can begin collecting links, sample code, NG posts you
may use sometime, etc. I've been using this for quite a
while now and it has proved very useful in looking for
code that I think, "Boy, I remember saving that in here."
Also makes it real easy to respond to post topics that I
have already typed something up in the past.

I would just have one database for each newsgroup. Like
one for Access, one for Excel, one for PowerPoint, etc.

'k...that sounds like a good game plan. It will also simplify the data
collection, and...keep me from posting the wrong information to the wrong

I would send you my Access one (~250 items), however, I am
unable to at the moment. Our office satellite connection
is down right now. It's not the modem this time, it is the
satellite itself! We are dead in the water; no e-mail, no
Internet, no NGs yesterday, today, and no estimate on when
things will be back to normal. I could be cut off for
quite a while. Noooo! I'm not even sure if this message
will go through as I am trying something (don't ask). So I
hope you see this message and good luck with Tony's file.
It should be just what you need.

Booo!! Sheesh...I hate it when that happens! I get horrible withdrawals!
Then I'm left to my own devices, and that is always a disaster looking for a
place to happen. ;o)

I'll start with Tony's examples, and when you can get back up on line, you
can e-mail me a copy of yours. I think you may still have my addy. I'd
really be interested to see how you have yours set up too.

Good luck with the Dead Star..... (satallite)

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

 

[Adrian Jansen]

Hi all - Access 2002 XP - W2K

I am a regular responder on a few newsgroups and forums, and needless to say
my resource and reference files are getting quite large, and take some time
to sort through. I would like to develop an Access database for easier
access, however, I am not sure which type of format would be best. I was
thinking something along the lines of a library book type setup, with a
section for each newsgroup. I was hoping that one of the regulars here may
also use something of this nature to keep track of their references and a
sorting system.....of sorts.

I have been sampling with a few formats that I have used previously, but,
they don't really seem to provide the system that I would like to have for
researching.

Once I am able to determine the type of format to use, I can better decide
how to set up the tables and relationships. I'm just not sure how this
should be done, and I would truly appreciate any suggestions or references
to such information if possible. Or, if someone has a better system, I
would really be interested to hear about it.

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

I use something similar, but because I also use it for snippets of code,
and that often crosses multiple applications - think VBA - I did it this
way:

tblPrograms
ProgramID *
ProgramName
Application

tblAuthors
AuthorID *
Author

tblSubjects
SubjectID *
ProgramID
AuthorID
Subject - eg news subject

tblHints
HintID *
SubjectID
Hint - memo field
HintDate

tjcHintKey - junction table, combined primary key
HintID
KeywordID

tblKeywords
KeywordID *
Keyword
Description

The starred items are the primary keys. I think the structure is pretty
obvious, and seems to handle what I do reasonably well.
Inserting meaningful keywords is the hardest part, but also the most
powerful way of keeping track of stuff.

--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Design Engineer J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, convert address above to machine form.

 

[Jan Il]

Hi Adrian

I use something similar, but because I also use it for snippets of code,
and that often crosses multiple applications - think VBA - I did it this
way:

tblPrograms
ProgramID *
ProgramName
Application

tblAuthors
AuthorID *
Author

tblSubjects
SubjectID *
ProgramID
AuthorID
Subject - eg news subject

tblHints
HintID *
SubjectID
Hint - memo field
HintDate

tjcHintKey - junction table, combined primary key
HintID
KeywordID

tblKeywords
KeywordID *
Keyword
Description

The starred items are the primary keys. I think the structure is pretty
obvious, and seems to handle what I do reasonably well.
Inserting meaningful keywords is the hardest part, but also the most
powerful way of keeping track of stuff.

Yes...that look very simple, yet, that is what will make it efficient. As
with any large amount of data, the fastest way to search is to keep things
simple. That way, neither you, nor Access, has to think that hard. And for
me...that's really good! ;-)

The one thing that I have found in the manner I have been logging the
snippets, which is somewhat organized, is that I wind up duplicating some,
perhaps by just a bit of wording, as I review various sites in research. I
find that many experts have their own favorite method or style of doing
things, and they are all good, so I like having the various methods.
However, I don't think there is a need to have several variations of the
same method. Thus, I've decided it's time to get me to the database.

Thank you very much for your time and sharing your information, I really do
appreciate it. The task does not look quite so onerous now. <g>

 

[Jeff Conrad]

Hi Jan,

I am going to try and send you the file from a different account.
I do not know if it will work so please post back here if it was
successful or not. Do not respond back to the e-mail as I will
not receive it.

 

[Jan Il]

HI Jeff!

Yes, I received the DB, and it looks just perfect for what I need. I like
having the details of the response or instructions in a page format. A few
I have to use can be somewhat lengthy, as it is a series of instructions to
be carried out together. Having to insert them separately would be rather
inefficient.

Thank you very much for sharing your information, I truly do appreciate it.
If I have questions, which I am sure I will, I'll get back with you. Let me
know when they have you up and running on your e-mails again.

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

 

[Fred Boer]

Hey Jeff... could you send that to me, too, please?

Thanks!
Fred

 

[Jan Il]

Hi Fred!

I've forwarded you a copy of the one Jeff sent me, just in case he has
problems sending right away.

Jan

 

[Adrian Jansen]

The one thing that I have found in the manner I have been logging the
snippets, which is somewhat organized, is that I wind up duplicating some,
perhaps by just a bit of wording, as I review various sites in research. I
find that many experts have their own favorite method or style of doing
things, and they are all good, so I like having the various methods.
However, I don't think there is a need to have several variations of the
same method. Thus, I've decided it's time to get me to the database.

Thank you very much for your time and sharing your information, I really do
appreciate it. The task does not look quite so onerous now. <g>

The duplication problem is always there, thats why I used my own set of
keywords, and of course by assigning the keyword to several different
snippets, a search on the keyword pulls them all up together.

--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Design Engineer J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, convert address above to machine form.

 

[Jan Il]

Hi Adrian

The duplication problem is always there, thats why I used my own set of
keywords, and of course by assigning the keyword to several different
snippets, a search on the keyword pulls them all up together.

Yes...and I will keep that information in mind while compiling the data for
the tables. There's often more than one reference word for some procedures,
so determining the keywords for these will be a bit more difficult. Think
I'll have to create my own glossary for some of them.

Jan

 

[Fred Boer]

Hey Jan:

I've been too busy (helping my children with their homework - how did I
*ever* pass elementary school?!?) to put much time into this, but I'm
interested. Do you still have a copy of my library application? The use of
keywords twigged with me; you might want to create a many-to-many table so
that any one record could have multiple keywords, much as a book could have
multiple subjects...

Oh, and thanks for the forward pass!

Fred

 

[Joan Wild]

Hi Jan,
Here's another tip for you, since you are using OE. If you come across a
post that you'd like to keep, you can drag the message from OE into Access.
A bit of parsing and you can separate the header information (date, title,
author, message). Add some keywords, and you've got your own little
newsgroup search database.

Although you can keep messages in local folders in OE, I find it easier to
search in Access, and also OE has more than once destroyed my local folders.

 

[Jan Il]

Hi Joan!

Hi Jan,
Here's another tip for you, since you are using OE. If you come across a
post that you'd like to keep, you can drag the message from OE into Access.
A bit of parsing and you can separate the header information (date, title,
author, message). Add some keywords, and you've got your own little
newsgroup search database.

Very good idea! That would save a lot of time too.

Although you can keep messages in local folders in OE, I find it easier to
search in Access, and also OE has more than once destroyed my local

folders.

Indeed! That is sort of what I have been doing, merely due to the lack of
time when I want to add a new find, which seem to be in abudance these days
with the problems with SP2 and IE. So, getting them direct into Access
would be a big time saver. Also, as you say, OE is not a good baby-sitter
for files. I lost a 3 months worth of messages and files when OE decided to
dump me. So now I back up my folders about twice a week, or more if I've
been saving a lot of messages. OE is sooo fickle..one day it knows
you.....the next day your toast! ;o)

Thank you very much for the additional information, I really do appreciate
it. Now I'm of the see deh Wizard!

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

 

[Jan Il]

Hey Fred!

"> Hey Jan:

I've been too busy (helping my children with their homework - how did I
*ever* pass elementary school?!?) to put much time into this, but I'm
interested. Do you still have a copy of my library application? The use of
keywords twigged with me; you might want to create a many-to-many table so
that any one record could have multiple keywords, much as a book could have
multiple subjects...

No problem. Yes! I do still have the copy of our library setup you sent
me. In fact, I was thinking about that as well. In fact, I was wondering
where you were. Now....you should know better than to 'help' your children
with their homework. All parents are Kinderkid faiures, or 'that was the
way they did things in the old days! See...today it's the New math and New
Wave English Lit, and History revised and then revisited. <vbg>

I'll give it a look, as the many to many may be a good idea since there can
be more than one keyword and topics for each.

Oh, and thanks for the forward pass!

You're very welcome! I haven't had much chance yet to get into the db, as
our power has been sporadic here the past couple of days, and out most of
this morning. They're renovating our apt. building. It's one of the older
buildings in Warrenton, VA in the Old Town district. Why...we'll even have
indoor plumbing! (vbg)

Jan
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.