[thelist] database eating brain...
McCreath_David
McCreath_David at xmail.asd.k12.ak.us
Fri Jun 30 18:20:33 CDT 2000
This is an awfully long post for the end of a work week and beginning of a
holiday weekend...sorry.
I'm building an application for one of our departments that's quite beyond
the scope of anything I've done before and the database is killing me. Using
NT/ASP/SQLServer.
We have this program called Safe and Drug Free Schools that gets a big
federal grant every year. Then our schools apply to the District SDFS office
for "mini-grants" (weird mental image of Hugh Grant and Dr. Evil...). This
online application is going to take the place of the bewildering and
poorly-laid-out paper application. Okay, so my problem is this:
The school does a "Needs Assessment", using one of seven pre-designed tools
(surveys) or a tool of their own design. In the application I have a form
where the applicant chooses the tool used in the needs assessment. For the
greatest flexibility, I have a table called "naTools" that will create the
original list. When the applicant selects a tool, it adds a row to a table
called "naToolsUsed" that will be used later in the application. After
entering a tool, they can enter another one, or go on to the "Goals"
section. On the Goals page, they enter a general goal and a measurable
objective for that goal. (They can have more than one goal, just like they
can have more than one tool. Each goal adds a row to the "genGoals" table
with the grantID from the "grant" table.)
Here's where I start getting myself in knots:
For measurable objective, they can select one OR MORE tools from their Needs
Assessment to measure the outcome of this objective; that's why I have
"naToolsUsed" -- to build that list of tools from their needs assessment.
Now am I right in thinking that each goal is going to need a separate table
of tools used as well? Or is there a way to add them to the "genGoal"
table?"
Here's what I have sketched so far. (Pardon my psuedo database markup here,
please.)
TABLE "naTools" <-- This is used to build the initial menu.
naToolID (PK) It's in a table so that SDFS can edit it.
naToolName It is not related to a specific grant.
naToolDesc <-- In case they use their own survey.
TABLE "naToolsUsed" <-- This is built from the input of the form that
grantID (FK) uses "naTools" in a drop down, and is only
naToolID (FK) used to build a checkbox list specific to this
naToolUsedID (PK) grant.
TABLE "genGoal" <-- This is specific to each grant, and each grant
grantID (FK) can have more than one goal.
genGoalID (PK)
genGoal
objective
TABLE "genGoalTool" <-- This is used to record which tools from
genGoalID (FK) "naToolsUsed" apply to this specific goal
grantID (FK)
naToolUsedID (FK)
Am I overcomplicating this? Is there enough information here to explain what
I'm trying to do?
------------------------------------------
David McCreath Web Development
(907) 742-4647 Anchorage School District
http://www.asd.k12.ak.us/
More information about the thelist
mailing list