Lookups and design

[Johnny Drama]

I know it's considered bad practice to use lookups on tables when doing design, but what is the thought on using a value lookup in a table where the values are set? I'm redesigning a DB that someone before me created and it's got about 20 tables that hold from 2-5 values in each table. These are then used for lookups by a central table. Most of the data in these tables will be added to, deleted, or modified so I was wondering if it's better to just put them in the table doing the lookups as a lookup value for a text field.

Hopefully I explained that somewhat clearly.

 

[spikepl]

So you know that ra** & pillage are wrong, but you are asking whether it is a little bit OK after all, just on certain days of the week?

 

[Johnny Drama]

I'm asking the question because I'm not a DBA and I'm not an access developer, thus I'm not sure if there's a difference between the two methods. If anyone would care to actually be helpful it would be appreciated.

 

[MSAccessRookie]

I believe that what spike was so indelicately trying to say was that if you read the papers and other writings on the subject, it is generally held that Lookup Tables should never be used in any serious Access Databases. I have even seen some people who say that Microsoft should never have implemented them at all.

-- Rookie

 

[spikepl]

Two methods ? I obviously do not quite understand your explanation.

The crux of it all is simply do not use lookups in tables. You can do that when you design, because the wizard will then create the appropriate combos when you let it make a form out of the table, but the next step is then to get rid of the lookups.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Thanks. That's what I needed to know.