[thelist] Database Newbie - Tips?

[Carolyn Jewel]

<snip>
What I have done so far is created a spreadsheet with a column for field
name, data type, description, and potential issues.  I have listed out
most all of the potentital fields that I might need (but I'm sure I have
forgotten some), some of the data types, all of the descriptions, and
some of the issues.

My question is (taking a deep breath) do any of you have any tips on
things to think about, or processes that you go through when setting up
a new database, or any links on information gathering?  I spent most of
Sunday on google, but only really found a few useful pages.
</snip>

You've already gotten some good advice, particularly regarding primary
and foreign keys and normalization. You'll save yourself a lot of grief
if you spend some time on those subjects. So, I'll just point out that
Enterprise Manager has a database diagram tool and I would recommend you
model your database(s) there rather than use excel. Make sure you've
installed Books on Line (BOL) and spend time reading it, it's a good
resource.  Good luck and have fun.

Carolyn J.






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