Multi-user event trigger timing issues

P

Pendragon

For a sports tournament, on 10-15 laptops/stations, referees are entering
scores into a form. Once they click on confirm, the input score is written
to tblMatch on a host computer. Unfortunately, I'm working on an existing
database and that database has not been split. (It will be next year!)

During the initial part of the tournament, there is round robin play. I
need the system to be able to check each pool (group) to see if there is a
tie in match results once all play in that pool has been completed. That
code has been written.

The potential problem first regards the function being run every time a
score is input. This function essentially writes into the table the game
scores and calculates match wins/losses, games wins/losses and points
percentage -- a basic mathematical function to me. Am I correct in thinking
that this is being done fast enough (in terms of computing speed) that I
really don't need to be worried about the tblMatch being modified by more
than one score result at a time? Or is there realistic potential that we
might have data issues because tblMatch is being simultaneously updated from
more than one user's input? It is quite possible that several referees will
be inputting scores at relatively the same time, though unlikely in a
simultaneous instance.

Second, I need to be able to run a function to check for ties within a pool.
The code is not the problem. What might be is that while the function to
check for ties might be run while another user has just entered scores on
another station and the write-data function is in process; thus, tblMatch is
being utilized. Is there a potential timing issue here? I would like this
function (to check for ties) to be triggered at each station immediately
after score input.

My other option is to create a timer-form on the host data station and
simply have that run at necessary intervals. I'm not really a fan of this
option because I would really like the referees notified immediately after
score input that a tie in that pool has occurred, etc etc., but if this gets
me around any potential timing issues I'll go this route.

Advice and input most welcome.
 
D

Douglas J. Steele

I don't see any reason why you should be storing the wins/losses and points
to a table at all. What happens if the results in a table get updated
without running the function, or the totals table gets updated? How will you
know which is correct?

Create a query that provides the results, and use the query, rather than a
table.

I also can't think of a single reason not to split the application now.
Splitting an application into a front-end and back-end should only take a
matter of minutes!
 

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