please help

[emmily11]

hi
i am trying very hard to build this daabase i dont think there will be a problem when it comes to the forms etc but just getting the tables linked right is becoming a big issue here is the relationship diagram if someone could look at it and give me some advice i would appreicaiate it i know its not right but i dont know how to fix it
please help
thanks in advance
vickie

 

[Jack Cowley]

YIKES! I can tell you that this is just tad beyond my relationship capabilities but I can tell you that all tables should have a primary key (i.e. Planned Phd's, RAE, Reserch Project, etc.). There should be no spaces in table or field names. Table RAE is not normalized.

That is about all that I can tell you with any confidence. Maybe someone else here can tell you specifically if all of your relationships are correct, but I am sorry to say that I can't.

hth,
Jack

 

[Mile-O]

Before you even worry about the relationships I'd suggest you learn 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Normal Form. Try searching this forum - or use Google - for explanations.

Many of your tables are of dubious integrity - it seems that numerous details in some tables aren't dependant upon the key field.

Table RAE, as Jack says, needs redesigned.

The qualifications in the Doctoral Students table sounds as if you could be storing a number of details here (a violaton of 1NF).

You'd probably be best to get a supervision type table, too.

Anyway, learn the normal forms and go through your database table by table.

It's really hard to know more about your tables as some fields are not descriptive enough to determine from a picture - i.e. data types, etc.

 

[emmily11]

hi,
i know my tables arnt even slightly normalized and that the feilds arnt wholely dependent on the primary key but i just dont know how to do it

The rae table just needs tick boxes for the years (yes or No) its the only way i could think of doing it otherwise next year or in a few years the tables wont be relevent the staff table is so big so i dont want to put it in there you also mentioned the qualifications feild we only need a list to put on a report so i decided just to use a memo field because i couldnt think of another way of doing it im sure there is a way i just dont know how
please help im getting nowhere fast
thanks emmily

 

[Jack Cowley]

Your RAE table should be:

tblRAE
RAEID (PK)
StaffID (FK)
aYear
Attended (yes/no)

Look here for a tutorial on normalization. Due to the size of your db you really need to get the tables properly normalized and related.

hth,
Jack

 

[emmily11]

hi jack thanks for the help i am goin to read the link you gave me and i hope that helps i dont understand the rae table where you have put year how wil i record the previous years answer y/n
and how will the year not become obsolte thanks again emmily

 

[Jack Cowley]

I do not know the purpose of your RAE table so I made up the Attended field as it seemed appropriate. You will have to enter the necessary dates as you need them or you can create a lookup. Without knowing the purpose it is hard to tell you how to set up your tables and relate them properly.

Jack