Hands-On Microsoft Access: A Practical Guide to Improving Your Access Skills

Relational Database Principles

When you begin creating relational databases for whatever mission, some of the procedures will seem counterintuitive and needlessly complex. Indeed, at times the whole enterprise might seem dubious, at best.

So before going any further, let's flesh out a few broad principles of relational database design. This will give you a better idea of the playing field you'll be working in, and perhaps make some of the methods you'll be using seem less perplexing.

An Indifference to Where Values Are Stored

Let's say you're a fan of the Boston Red Sox. You turn to your hometown newspaper to find out how many games they are in or out of first place. You know that the sports news is always in, say, section D, and Major League ...