1st Normal Form - how would you normalize this?? (1 Viewer)

Hi all

The attached image shows a form, and the bottom part is essentially repeated data (obviously according to 1nf this needs to be moved to a new table.

The access database i am creating will use forms for the users, i am struggling a bit as to what i should include in the data i move, should it be REF NO, DATE, WEIGHT, TREATMENT, DIET??

Thanks in advance!

First, wherever it goes, you shouldn't have a field named "Date". That's a reserved word and will make coding queries and VBA more difficult if you use that. I'd prefix it with whatever the data is for (i.e. TreatmentDate, AdmitDate, etc.)

Other than that, the data in the bottom portion would be its own table, each column its own field. You should also have an additional field that is the foreign key to the other table. You identified REF_NO as that field, which may be the correct field, as long as its the primary key in the other table. I also see "Pen No" at the top--what data is that?

Show us the underlying table structure.

Thanks for the help! I am very new to this, this is essentially the first thing i am trying to do properly in Access.

The Pen No is the pen number the animal will be assigned to. (It is all for an animal sanctuary)

Your asking the right questions--so many people start with forms and reports and work backwards towards tables. Get the structure right is the least sexy but most important.

Give it a shot, then post your structure for us.