Concept and layout NORMALIZATION?

[williekay]

I've gone round and round with the concept of Normalization. I've decided on a 125 field table. Most of the fields represent Periodic Table Elements - Mo Ni Mn Cr, etc. This is because we run samples, maybe 10 or more. A normalized database is

Lot Element Percentage
3555 Mo 5
3555 Ni 6


There was no good form design that made data entry easy to display and enter all 10 or so samples, so I went to a 125 field table instead of a 3 field table that made data entry a nightmare. The thing is we have 3 or 4 more tables that use the same 125 field format for the same reason. A part of me wants to use the additional identification fields in the table as different refernces for CHECK STANADARS, PRELIMS, FINALS, CID COMPOSITES, instead of having 4 or 5 individual 125 field tables for each. It does go against the logic, seperate different data to different tables, but one table with everything is appealing to me. What do you say?

Willie

 

[PHV]

With the normalised 3 fields table have you considered a main form for the Lot and a continuous linked subform with a combo for Element ?

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[williekay]

Because we want to choose Mo, Ni, Mn, one time and list in a row or column all the samples Mo, Ni, Mn

Mo Ni Mn
sample 1 1 10 .75
sample 2 1.1 10.5 .8
sample 3 1.25 11 .77

(this one you'll have a bunch of sub forms so you can choose and list all the elements you are analyzing(usually around 20))
-------- OR --------

Sample 1 Sample 2
Mo 1 1.5
Ni 10 10.10
Mn 1.5 1.7

(This one you would do something like using VBA to create a form with a number of fields or columns)
_________

See when you analyize a sample it could list 20 elements, and you maybe analyize anywhere from 10-20 samples. So the form would be something like

Sample 1 Mo 1
Sample 2 Mo 1.2
Sample 3 Mo 1.3
Sample 1 Ni 10
Sample 2 Ni 10.5
Sample 3 Ni 10.6

-- or --

Sample 1 Mo 1
Sample 1 Ni 10.5
Sample 1 Mn 1.1
Sample 2 Mo 1
Sample 2 Ni 10.7
Sample 2 Mn 1

What we need is

Lot 3555

Mo Ni Mn
Samp le 1 1 10 1
Sample 2 1 10 .5
Sample 2 1.2 10 .75

Willie