Relationships - Viewing a complex set up

[dynamictiger]

I am designing a database, currently in Access, but I am sure will need upsizing.

There are currently 60 tables in the table design and I think I am about half way through.

I have grouped the tables so that they are logically placed and can be viewed easily. However, I am running into problems with the relationship window.

When I place a table in the relationship window now, I want to place a copy of another table already in the relationship table, I then create the relationship between the new table and the copy table, save the layout and close. When I reopen I find Access has kindly redrawn the relationship from my copied table to the other instance.

This is making my relationship window rather complex to view, and I am loosing perspective on the relationships.

Any ideas?

 

[AlexMidd]

Don't think there is anything you can do about this. That is what the relationships window is for, after all. It is where the relationships are defined. Can only suggest doing another document, say in Word, to keep track of the tables. Have fun! )

Alex Middleton

 

[Hasse]

This is probably not a real solution & requires some double work, but it might bring you a bit further...

(but first, I assume that the relationships Access 'restores' aren't presented as you'ld like, but that they remain correct. Otherwise, I can't help)

For such a complicated database, you might
- add tables & define relationships in the relationships window
- display each logical group of coherent tables a 'dummy'-query:
(1) open new query - design - add all related tables you'ld like to view
(2) put no matter what field in the query grid
(3) enlarge the 'table space' to maximum height (grid almost disappears) & arrange tables

Further, in case your problem is caused by a lot of lookup tables, I'd recommend you hide them from the relationship window, once you defined their relations, since they aren't (that) relevant to the overall data structure.

 

[dynamictiger]

Thanks for the thoughts I think that would work for me.