Data Structure & Storing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andy Roberts
  • Start date Start date
A

Andy Roberts

Here is my problem. Googling and using the help hasn't assisted me as I
must be using the wrong terminology.
I'll explain what it is I'm trying to do:-

I want to be able to log cross-sections measured along a river using three
criteria. I have 4 teams all working along a river at different places on
different days and I want to analyse their productivity. The sections being
measured are to be input into the database at the end of the day as a record
of what they have done.

Each team will select a day on my form, select which team they are and
select which part of the river they have been working on. They will then
punch in the data required for each section. So each entry will be based on
who, when and where it was done in order to make it a unique entry.

I'm struggling to get my head around how the data will be stored within
access as its not just stored against one criteria (ie a product within a
category) it stored against 3. Can anyone help with a point in the right
direction. Apologies if this is a bit vague, I'll try to expand a bit based
on any responding questions.

Andy
 
just create a "main" table that allows you to enter the data

Lets Call this main table

tblMainDayData

This would be our main form. It would have many fields, some might be the
date/time you entered the record, the name of the operator doing the data
etnry.....etc:

id: - standard autonumbber id that all tables
should have
DateOfEtnry:
Operator:
TeamID: - this would be a nice combo box to select the
team
RiverPartID: - again, this could be a nice combo box that lets
you select the part of the river
(the combo box would obviously get this
value from a table that defines the
section
of the river..and the table could have
many things...perhaps even the GPS
location

DataDat: - day of the data run.

So, you have this standard main form...and you enter all of the above...
Each team will select a day on my form, select which team they are and
select which part of the river they have been working on.
Click to expand...

Sure, what you said sound just like the above as I laid out. I sure there
will be other fields and data on this form. Just lay out the form for all
of the NON REPEATING data.
They will then punch in the data required for each section. So each entry
will be based on who, when and where it was done in order to make it a
unique entry.
Click to expand...

Right..sounds like a sub-form. just like a invoice for a customer..and then
you have details for that customer...that sounds like your case.

(have you played with the northwind sample database -- in a2003 just go
help->sample databases->Northwind sample database)

So, now, you have a sub-form that lets you enter the data.

I'm struggling to get my head around how the data will be stored within
access as its not just stored against one criteria (ie a product within a
category) it stored against 3.
Click to expand...

No, it not really stored against 3, it is stored against the above ONE
RECORD THAT DEFINES ALL of that stuff. You can have 2, or 15 fields of
information that define the crew, the people, the operation type, the
date..etc,
but that is just ONE record as above..and you only need relate the data to
the ONE record.

The fact that this record has 3 (as you say) , or more
things really don't matter. It is simply one main record that define all of
that junk...and then you simply add a bunch of data into your data table
that relates back to that ONE record....


tblDayData

id mainday_id DataType dataValue
1 3 GPS 342423423
2 3 Mosture 33
3 3 Temp 55
4 3 Temp2 54
5 3 Temp3 51

etc. etc.

You can see that this sub-form does NOT need to display the "id", and the
"mainday_id" fields during data entry. It also not clear what types of data
you need to enter...if you "just" have data points of some type..then you
don't even need a data "type" column....

In the above, obviously the main record these data points belong to is a
record with a pk of 3 in the main table.


--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
(e-mail address removed)

Can anyone help with a point in the right
 
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