Hi:
I am interested to hear everyones comments on the above question?!
I have been an Alpha user since A4v2 using a variety of different databases for my own business use. Virtually all of the databases have now migrated to A5V4.5 except for my "flagship" which I use to provide a sports statistics service to a professional sports league. This has been developed over many, many days and nights, often by trial and error and certainly without any formal training beforehand.
Because I have to produce a very complex set of weekly reports and even more complicated end of season reports. I have developed a system which utilises a whole series of scripts to create the necessary segments of the reports which are then exported into word, where a further series of macros is used to create the reports. (I have not even tried to create these reports in A4!)
I have attached a pdf file which contains a sample of a weekly reports from which you will be able to see that there are many, many sections to them!
I know now from my growing knowledge of database design that, the current structure has limitations and is full of redundant data. This fact coupled with the reporting requirements has until now persuaded me not to switch to A5.
But now I have decided to take the plunge and am in the process of re-designing the database from the ground up. I have gone right back to basics and am trying not to be influenced by the way I currently process data.
At present I use a series of "storage" databases into which date entered for the various statistical categories are posted via field rules (there are 8 storage dbf's!) from here various sets have been created to produce the various reports. There is a whole bunch of calculated fields which presently lie in these tables, which I think I should remove and create in the reporting functions instead.
I am considering as an alternative to this approach using summary tables instead of posting rules and here in lies my question (at last!) I am trying to figure out which method would be easier to establish, give me greater data integrity, and perhaps most importantly provide a better chance to create the necessary reports, or export files! Would there be any difference?
I hope the above makes sense and I eagerly await your thoughts.
Glen Schild
I am interested to hear everyones comments on the above question?!
I have been an Alpha user since A4v2 using a variety of different databases for my own business use. Virtually all of the databases have now migrated to A5V4.5 except for my "flagship" which I use to provide a sports statistics service to a professional sports league. This has been developed over many, many days and nights, often by trial and error and certainly without any formal training beforehand.
Because I have to produce a very complex set of weekly reports and even more complicated end of season reports. I have developed a system which utilises a whole series of scripts to create the necessary segments of the reports which are then exported into word, where a further series of macros is used to create the reports. (I have not even tried to create these reports in A4!)
I have attached a pdf file which contains a sample of a weekly reports from which you will be able to see that there are many, many sections to them!
I know now from my growing knowledge of database design that, the current structure has limitations and is full of redundant data. This fact coupled with the reporting requirements has until now persuaded me not to switch to A5.
But now I have decided to take the plunge and am in the process of re-designing the database from the ground up. I have gone right back to basics and am trying not to be influenced by the way I currently process data.
At present I use a series of "storage" databases into which date entered for the various statistical categories are posted via field rules (there are 8 storage dbf's!) from here various sets have been created to produce the various reports. There is a whole bunch of calculated fields which presently lie in these tables, which I think I should remove and create in the reporting functions instead.
I am considering as an alternative to this approach using summary tables instead of posting rules and here in lies my question (at last!) I am trying to figure out which method would be easier to establish, give me greater data integrity, and perhaps most importantly provide a better chance to create the necessary reports, or export files! Would there be any difference?
I hope the above makes sense and I eagerly await your thoughts.
Glen Schild
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