Estimating Database Structure

[Agape]

Currently I have a user who enters estimate quantity data into an excel sheet in a specific format in specific cells. Every estimate gets it's own sheet/workbook. I had a macro created which copies the data from each of these estimates into another excel document so I can get counts and totals of all estimates. This works well when no new items are added, otherwise I have to change the macro.

I would prefer to put this into access, where essentially the data could be put in with a form.

Now I've seen examples where initial information is put in and a subform is used to add items to the estimate one by one. Is there a way where I can have a standardized list of items in a subform where the user puts in quantities only?
For table structure I was thinking the following.

Estimate
_______
EstimateID, Date, Project, PreparedBy, Description of Work, Location, etc.


Equipment
_______
EquipmentID, Material Unit Cost, ConstructionUnitRate, LabourRate, Description

Quantity
_______
QuantityID, EstimateID, EquipmentID, Quanitity

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

[jdraw]

A couple of comments.

You will save yourself a lot of grief if you don't include spaces in field or object names.
Date is a reserved word in Access.

Reserved words/terms in Access can be found here
http://allenbrowne.com/AppIssueBadWord.html

Reference material with examples (Access)
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/forum/topic238.html

Good luck.

 

[Agape]

I'm familiar with the naming conventions, I just put the field names in with spaces quickly to demonstrate my brainstorming thus far.

Thanks,

 

[jdraw]

To help with design, the reference to RogersAAccessLibrary still stands.
There are existing data models here that may help
http://www.databaseanswers.org/data_models/index.htm

Take a look at the Business rules associated with the models.