Hello out there!

[Davebert]

Hi, I am still trying to figure out the most important part of relational database design. Now I am much older and I thought wiser but am still stumped when it come to making relationships between tables. I started with MS Access a long time ago and had some of those 700 page books and ended up with a flat file single table database in the end as all that foreign key and 1 to1 , 1 to many, and many to 1 stuff didn't sink in. So now I am back with another go at it. I have put together a single table flat file db using LibreOffice Base and want to split it into multiple tables and make it relational. I have split it up and don't know which field should be in table and table two. I have ordered an older version of MS Access (2010) that will be here soon. I hope somebody can get me over to the dark side. I am in Florida.

 

[Jon]

Welcome to Access World! We're so happy to have you join us as a member of our community. As the most active Microsoft Access discussion forum on the internet, with posts dating back more than 20 years, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with you.

We're a friendly and helpful community, so don't hesitate to ask any questions you have or share your own experiences with Access. We're here to support you and help you get the most out of this powerful database program.

To get started, we recommend reading the post linked below. It contains important information for all new users of the forum:

https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/new-member-read-me-first.223250/

We hope you have a great time participating in the discussion and learning from other Access enthusiasts. We look forward to having you around!

 

[theDBguy]

Hi. Welcome to AWF!

 

[pbaldy]

Welcome aboard! I kind of wish I was in FL right now. Too cold for golf around here.

 

[Davebert]

Welcome aboard! I kind of wish I was in FL right now. Too cold for golf around here.

Thanks for the welcome. It's actually been pretty cold as I am in the panhandle. Freezing temps as low as 26 degrees at night. It was 32 degrees at 7:00 AM this morning. Better to be cold than whats happening on the west coast though.

 

[Davebert]

Hi. Welcome to AWF!

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[Davebert]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

In response to your plea for help, I give this advice: This is a database forum so here, you can search for "Normalization." If you want to learn using multiple viewpoints from the web, you must search for "Database Normalization" - because by itself, "normalization" is used in at least half-a-dozen disciplines including math, chemistry, pharmacology, and international diplomacy. When you find articles, start from those coming from a .EDU domain and definitely look for several. Not that you are looking for technical differences, but you need to find articles with which you can connect. Some articles get a bit abstract. Once you think you see the light, look at a few of the .COM domain articles. The reason I suggest looking at the .COM sites 2nd is that they often have something to sell you and initially, you don't need the distraction.

Normalization is a way for you to put your database together such that the various relationships work correctly. Also, it's a way to minimize the size of a database by not having to repeat something over and over again. Instead, you just point to the details - and the pointer is almost certainly shorter than the detailed description of whatever was being pointed to.

Thanks for the welcome and the info on how to learn normalization. I know it's going to take some time but I will figure it out if I put my nose to the grindstone. I have been getting some great help already here on the forum but it takes time for it all to make sense but this is a great forum and the best one I found looking for help.

 

[pbaldy]

Thanks for the welcome and the info on how to learn normalization. I know it's going to take some time but I will figure it out if I put my nose to the grindstone. I have been getting some great help already here on the forum but it takes time for it all to make sense but this is a great forum and the best one I found looking for help.

FYI I moved the quoted post and another to your other thread.

 

[Davebert]

One thing you can do to get a kick-start would be to upload a copy of the current accdb you have and solicit ideas on how to Normalize it. Doing so gives people a concrete basis on which to make suggestions and offer explanations.

@GPGeorge Well I started with LibreOffice Base and I have been getting guidance here on the forum already. I bought Access 2019 and just installed it last night so my simple single table flat file database will get rebuilt with Access and from some of the comments, my database is fine the way it is. I want to make it better and complicate it I guess. But I am getting a lot of good info here so I am a happy camper.

 

[bob fitz]

Davebert

Can you post a copy of what you have so far and perhaps tell us something about the database you want to create.

 

[pbaldy]

Davebert

Can you post a copy of what you have so far and perhaps tell us something about the database you want to create.

Bob, this is an intro thread. Tech discussion at:

Help with simple design

Hi everybody. I am currently using LibreOffice Base. I have ordered a new retail version of MS Office Pro 2010 so I will have ACCESS again when it arrives. I am somewhat a noob with databases but have some experience making flat file databases in the past and just recently again. I tried to...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

 

[GPGeorge]

@GPGeorge Well I started with LibreOffice Base and I have been getting guidance here on the forum already. I bought Access 2019 and just installed it last night so my simple single table flat file database will get rebuilt with Access and from some of the comments, my database is fine the way it is. I want to make it better and complicate it I guess. But I am getting a lot of good info here so I am a happy camper.

Argh. I put two and two together and came up with zero. My apologies.

 

[Davebert]

Argh. I put two and two together and came up with zero. My apologies.

No problem. I joined here after ordering an older 2010 version of Office Professional and it still hasn't arrived yet. Then I got a link from here where I bought a very good deal on 2019 Access and I downloaded it last night and installed it. Talk about a fresh noob in Access. Me.

 

[Isaac]

Ordering software that gets mailed on a physical disk? It does sound rather 1995-ish! Just teasing. Welcome

 

[Davebert]

Ordering software that gets mailed on a physical disk? It does sound rather 1995-ish! Just teasing. Welcome

Too bad I didn't cancel it before it shipped as I now have downloaded and installed ACCESS on 3 PC's with downloadable software, and the stuff in the mail still has not arrived!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Ordering software that gets mailed on a physical disk? It does sound rather 1995-ish! Just teasing. Welcome

Even more interesting in that when my old beastie finally died on me, its replacement didn't have a DVD R/W device. However, there IS such a thing as a USB-compatible DVD reader/writer, so that is what I have now. Some of my older but still enjoyable games require the disk to be in the drive when playing, sometimes merely as a license verifier.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I remember when the floppy died and then the diskette reader. In both cases, I bought external drives so I wouldn't lose what was in my file cabinet on all those backups Then, either I plug the external drive into the computer that needs it at the moment or just leave it plugged into my primary PC. I recently bought an external CD. It was pretty cheap and worth the money to just have it. But, I did custom order an internal drive for my new primary because I still use CDs to send files to users who need them.

 

[Davebert]

I remember when the floppy died and then the diskette reader. In both cases, I bought external drives so I wouldn't lose what was in my file cabinet on all those backups Then, either I plug the external drive into the computer that needs it at the moment or just leave it plugged into my primary PC. I recently bought an external CD. It was pretty cheap and worth the money to just have it. But, I did custom order an internal drive for my new primary because I still use CDs to send files to users who need them.

I always install 2 CD/DVD burners in my new PC builds. One eventually usually quits burning but still reads . But I do have and external one handy when I need it. In fact in the old days I bought a bunch of 5 1/4 external drive boxes but the were for the old interface (IDE or PATA) as opposed to the current SATA. But they have their uses. I still remember the good old days with SCSI drives too.