Duplicate info in tables Best Practice

[KristenD]

I am debating on adding another field to a table in order to track dates. I have the information in another table but these 2 tables have no relationship to each other.

Initially, I was thinking of creating a relationship between the two tables in order to pull the date from there. But this table will not always be filled out depending on the employee class.

So, I was thinking of just adding the field rather than creating a relationship as I don't always need the info in that table.

I am wondering before I go and add all the extra work, would this be the most efficient way of doing this?

 

[jdraw]

Check your options against your data model.

Why do you have duplicate records in a table?

see http://forums.aspfree.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4712

 

[KristenD]

It wouldn't be duplicate records in the same table. It would be in two different tables. One table tracks the job the employee is on the other table tracks performance. It just so happens that the employee is evaluated each time he transfers, is rehired or laid off from a job. But if the employee is laid off from the job, I am not looking for that date in the job tracking table.

After reading through the link you gave me, I think the tables would be more normalized having date fields in both tables, rather than trying to manipulate the data to use that date.