Designing a Database (1 Viewer)

[Taff]

Can anyone point me out the kind of information you need to ask / collect from people when designing a database.

Is there any kind of site / Information I should read up on?

Thanks


Anthony

 

[ColinEssex]

Get the user to type up a specification outlining what they hope the database will acheive i.e what do they want it to do? invoices, stock control, appointments????.
What data they need to collect.
What reports they need and at what frequency - monthly, quarterly etc.

Once you've got the basic outline then the questions should come more easily.

Col

 

[Mile-O]

what do they want it to do?

If they currently do it on paper or spreadsheet then how does it work?/what does it do; determine those relationships.


All this talk of specifications makes me jealous...

Serioulsy, monkeys could give a better design brief than "I want it to collect <insert something>." and that's it - I actually had that!
So monkeys can do better; but do we employ monkeys? No!

 

[Taff]

Thanks Colin,

I created a few databases now, but found out it the later stages i should have planned a bit more thouroughly.


Regards


Anthony

 

[ColinEssex]

but found out in the later stages i should have planned a bit more thouroughly.

a bit like life then its the "if only I knew then. . . . . . etc" syndrome

 

[Taff]

Thanks Mile-O-Phile,

It's the questions to ask that stump me.

 

[Mile-O]

For ideas do a search on Pat Hartman and The Doc Man's posts on designing; by far the best on this site.

For me it's a case of not asking but the person I'm building for showing (not telling) how they currently enact their process. If somebody does this then write it down, and if they do that then make a note (not a mental one) of it. If something gets passed to Jim upstairs then ensure you meet Jim and find out about his involvement, ask him what he does. Make him show (not tell) you what he does. Take notes, and if he then passes info to Sue down in accounts then go meet Sue and get a demonstration. Always let them show you and only ask questions if you don't understand a process (i.e. for clarity).

Eventually, you'll have more questions. Provide a document and return to them and say "is this all you want?" to which they'll say "yes, that's great!"

Once it's complete and delivered they'll ask for thinks they never showed you way back in the early days.

 

[pcEars]

Candice Tripp's website has downloads that include a form she apparently uses to gather such information. Now, I've never used it myself, but maybe it will give some insight.

Also, I'd like to hear what some of the more experienced developers think of it.

Candice Tripp's download page [it's the very last in the list]