database table questions

[Rare87GT]

I am suppose to have 5 significant tables. I have made 5 so far and here they are.



Car_ID
Car_Make
Car_Model
Car_Year
Car_Transmission



Engine_ID
Engine_Make
Engine_Size
Engine_HP
Engine_Addons



Interior_ID
Interior_Type
Interior_Color
Interior_Options
Interior_Seats



Exterior_ID
Exterior_Color
Exterior_Body
Exterior_Wheels
Exterior_Suspension



Sound_ID
Sound_Type
Sound_Size
Sound_Wattage
Sound_Headunit

This is basically suppose to be a database of building a custom car with different specs.
Its also suppose to be all normalized in at least third normal form to prevent update anomalies. Is a database w/tables like this going to work. Need to some help getting this going. Its gonna be ran off of a Switchboard I believe as well. Thanks.

 

[Pat Hartman]

The Interior options needs to be a separate table since there could be more than one option. Engine_addons may need to be a separate table for the same reason. You should also have tables that define Options, Models, Makes, Types, etc. That will allow you to make combos for selection rather than having the user type in the values.

 

[KenHigg]

Hum...

I think I would set it up entirely different:

tblCustomers

tblProjects

tblCarSpecs

tblOptionsOther

tblManhours

tblPartsUsed

???
kh

 

[Rare87GT]

Hum...

I think I would set it up entirely different:

tblCustomers

tblProjects

tblCarSpecs

tblOptionsOther

tblManhours

tblPartsUsed

???
kh

Can you explain a little more in depth for me. I am a little confused on this starting point. Like what would go in those tables? Manhours, PartsUsed so forth. Just wanted a little clarity. Thank you.

 

[KenHigg]

Are you doing this for an Access class?

kh

 

[Rare87GT]

Are you doing this for an Access class?

kh

Yeah. I have to have 5 significant tables w/ 2 or more attributes/columns. And they have to all be normalized in at least third normal form to prevent update anomalies. Then Forms, Reports, Macros, and a Switchboard.

 

[KenHigg]

Well, the problem I see with having a car table, a engine table, an interior table is that you would (should) only have one interior record per car, so you would (could) put interior spec attributes in the car table. Etc.

So, having agreed that we need at least a car table, this leaves you with a need for other tables. I just assumed you would be doing a car for a customer and a customer may have more than one car.

To back up one step, I assumed a car could be restored within the specs of a project and that a project may involve more than on car.

The man-hours table would track how many man-hours a car took, and likewise with the parts. Each time a worker worked on a car, you would tarck it here and every part purchased or repaired for a car could be tracked in the parts table.

Finally, the other options table could store custom attributes that are not part of every car / project.

???
kh

 

[Rare87GT]

Yeah, since this is for my database access class I figured it would be easy to set these things up. I just want it lined up correctly before forms and reports start getting made. Is it possible for you to outline what I should do, to make it the easiest for me. Im a novice, just learning these things really and I have gotten myself in a hole now. Thank you Ken.

 

[Rare87GT]

btw, did you get my Private Message I sent you. Please get back with me.

 

[Rare87GT]

Any other ideas or examples of what I can do for my 5 significant tables having to do with cars, so forth? Let me know, thanks.