Using Outlook or SharePoint Linked Tables for Design

[Steve]

I'd like to build a pretty simple database for my wifes business, a womens
fitness studio. She uses Outlook 2003 to email them and keep track
activities like emails sent, tasks, appointments, etc. She needs a way to
keep track of memberships and measurements. I know how to design a database
for this but I'm thinking about making the customer table a table linked to
Outlook Contacts or a SharePoint site. My experiments linking to Outlook
bring over many unneeded fields. When I link to SharePoint I can link to a
view which only brings over the fields I need. Anyways there are some
problems I'm running into. I don't understand the limitations of a linked
table vs. a regular table. I seem to be having trouble setting up a one to
many relationship when one of the tables is linked. Would I be better off
using some type of Automation to import Outlook data? Any advice would be
appreciated. I'm willing to learn VBA or whatever. I'm just looking for
advice on the best way to go. It just seems silly to us to have to enter
customer info in Outlook and Access.

 

[Pat Hartman\(MVP\)]

Relationships are only useful for tables within the same database. There is
no way for any database engine, not only Jet, to enforce RI between a linked
table and a local table.

You can use Access to manage emails so you don't have to keep addresses in
Outlook also. As far as SharePoint goes, it is only a list manager. It is
not a relational database so I'm not sure if it has the ability to relate
tables and enforce RI.

I would stick with all tables in Access so you can enforce RI. You can use
ASP or FrontPage or something else to publish static HTML if you want
clients to be able to view their data online.

 

[Steve]

Thanks! I have been thinking that all Access tables would be best also.
Less things to go wrong. I mean if I used a linked SharePoint table the
whole database could become unusable if the internet connection was down.
Also as you said I think I can use Access to controll Outlook if I study it
awhile. Thanks for your help.

--
Steve

Relationships are only useful for tables within the same database. There is
no way for any database engine, not only Jet, to enforce RI between a linked
table and a local table.

You can use Access to manage emails so you don't have to keep addresses in
Outlook also. As far as SharePoint goes, it is only a list manager. It is
not a relational database so I'm not sure if it has the ability to relate
tables and enforce RI.

I would stick with all tables in Access so you can enforce RI. You can use
ASP or FrontPage or something else to publish static HTML if you want
clients to be able to view their data online.