Question organizing table

[BenW]

I currently have a table with a lot fields. I was wondering if it was inefficient and I should try breaking it apart and sorting it more accurately?

Fields included are: First name, Last name, invoice num, date, customer ID, cost, sale, net, face, received, and notes.

I read the article on normalization but I am still a bit confused on how to implement it. Is it fine if I operate my database with all of the fields placed on one table and create queries to access those fields to create data such as profit, account receivable, account payable, and such?

Also, not really related, but is a primary key necessary for a table? I currently do not have one enabled because all of my fields occasionally have duplicate values such as when two customers are placed on one order, I enter the same invoice number twice so it takes two rows.

 

[ajetrumpet]

ideal for this situation is a customer table, and a related transactions table.

PK = customers for customer table
PK = transaction ID for transactions table.

you certainly don't want to have just one table going here...

 

[maxmangion]

Hi,

As the previous poster suggested you should create at least two tables. In your current setup, if one of your customers have 20 invoices, you are going to end up entering his name, surname (and maybe address) 20 times, thus creating data redundancy. Eventually, what if your customer changes his contact address, you will end up having to change each and every occurence of his address i.e. 20 times.