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2 tables open vs 2 table set

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    2 tables open vs 2 table set

    Good afternoon,

    I am about to begin building an application that is heavily center on employees/ personnel. The main table will be Personnel. This table will contain the unique personnel ID. There will be quite a few tables that are linked to the personnel through the personnel ID, as secondary tables and childs of secondary tables. So far I have:

    Personnel
    -- Orientation Compliance
    =Annual Compliance
    =Job
    =Periodic reviews
    =Salary/payscale
    =Privileges
    =Competancy
    =Qualifications(school delivered)
    =Credentials (professional society delivered)
    =Certifications (government delivered)
    =Continuing education
    etc

    I am trying to be mindful of Dr. Wayne�s insight in not generating a large complex set and break things down.

    http://www.learn alpha.com/SimplifyY...ifyYourApp.htm

    My question is this:

    Dr. Wayne described independent tables free of being in a set from the original parent (Patients). However, the parent table is still open when he addresses secondary tables (PatIns). What is the difference between having independent tables both open and just a smaller set of two tables, one being the child table?

    Thank you.

    Mike W
    Mike W
    __________________________
    "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

    #2
    Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

    Mike,

    That has started me thinking in a different way of how to sort out my large cumbersome set of 1 header, 14 children and 1 grandchild that over the network is pretty slow to open, (form with 10 tabs).

    I didn't want to do all that coding as in Dr Wayne's article, this looks like a better prospect. The sets can be defined in no time, then just redesign the form with buttons to open other forms instead of tabs, should be a lot faster.

    Thanks for the idea, will start work tonight and let you know how I get on.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

      Don't create huge sets, especially on a network.

      The lesson I teach is this:

      Create sets as needed to allow you to construct the forms you need. Don't be afraid to say "Well, I need another set to do that."

      If someone claims they need a form that requires a dozen tables in a set, don't be afraid to challenge them and ask what their work flow etc. is really like. And warn them that, Alpha Five or any other database, will be a bit slow if they insist on that kind of presentation.
      -Steve
      sigpic

      Comment


        #4
        Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

        Lance,
        Your welcome, and good luck!

        Steve,

        Create sets as needed to allow you to construct the forms you need. Don't be afraid to say "Well, I need another set to do that."
        The Personnel table contains the two key fields, Personnel's unique ID (links) and their name. If this Personnel table is placed into many small sets, with the child table being the main activiy table and only needing the unique ID for the link, when all these activities with small sets are taking place on the network, the Personnel table would be open for the term of these activities.

        My exact question is this. These are the posiibilities. Which would be best:

        1. Many small sets with one main parent (Personnel) for all these sets, associated with many different other activities (other tables)?

        2. As Dr. Wayne used in his description, and have both the Personnel table and the activity tables open, the Personnel table open to resource field data from to distribute to the second un-setted activity table?

        3. Or would it be even better to not have a session of the Personnel table open, but open only for moment of a Lookup() using the personnel unique ID for the personnel's name, from a Form based on the non-setted, totally independant and singly opened activity table?

        Asked in another way...

        Is there a greater propensity for conflict attaching one main table to many small sets, being addressed by many activities and many users, or would it be better to have many independant, unsetted tables using either short table open sessions or maybe even better.. Lookups?

        I hope that is decipherable. Thanks

        Mike W
        Mike W
        __________________________
        "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

        Comment


          #5
          Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

          What a difference, I was up until 4:00AM getting it as sorted as needed, speed difference a lot better.

          Have given the other users the option on main menu open old form with lots of detail readily available, or open new form with less info but ability to get to other data via dialogs to see how they like it. After all we do design for other users not just ourselves. Plus we can always revert to old form if I have missed anything.

          Must say there is a definate delay on list view dialog showing parent-child data in a two table set filtered on new set structure, but not as slow as it was!!

          Comment


            #6
            Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

            I have another question regarding same?

            Is it better to have a main table with 1 child with a lot of fields or
            is it better to have a main table with 9 child tables with a few fields each?

            I have always believed in combining data into 1 table with more fields and I am thinking it as faster. It is not harder to connect and reports are easier.

            Dave Mason
            Dave Mason
            [email protected]
            Skype is dave.mason46

            Comment


              #7
              Re: 2 tables open vs 2 table set

              Originally posted by DaveM View Post
              I have another question regarding same?

              Is it better to have a main table with 1 child with a lot of fields or
              is it better to have a main table with 9 child tables with a few fields each?

              I have always believed in combining data into 1 table with more fields and I am thinking it as faster. It is not harder to connect and reports are easier.

              Dave Mason
              Dave,
              I believe opening a table requires more engine than displaying fields. I therefore believe one event that opens 9 tables is more resource hungry than 1 table.
              Mike W
              __________________________
              "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

              Comment

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