database

[D. Hageman]

A good book for you to learn database design and SQL would be "The 
Practical SQL Handbook".  I think the latest edition (3rd?) is a green 
colour.  It is a simple read and will get you hooked up with the basics.

I also personally recommend PostgreSQL over Mysql, but that is just me.



On Mon, 25 Apr 2005, Tim reid wrote:

> On 4/25/05, Jim Herrmann <kclug at itdepends.com> wrote:
>> Tim,
>> It sounds like you are wanting to do a fairly simple database structure,
>> which is a good way to get started.  When you say "open database
>> format", I assume that you are talking about a target platform of a
>> relational database, something like MySQL or Postgres.
> I think so.  I would like to do something on an F/OSS database
> platform, maybe something that I could serve on a local LAN (but it is
> not required)  I would also like to be able to do this with software
> that is free as in beer. I would also like to keep it in a fairly open
> format (can you DB in XML?)
>>
>> The first thing you need to do is create a logical model.  When doing a
>> logical model use English business names, and not programming
>
> OK, I work with cell phones.  I would like to create a DB that I could
> record repair transactions in.  I would like to create a DB that I
> could search for the PTN(phone number), IMEI, SIM, Account # and
> Account name.  I would also like to have a field (say 50-100 char
> long) that I could write in a discription about the transaction
>
>> Once you have this, you can create an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram.
>>  Now, if you find
>> an attribute occurs multiple times in an entity, then you should
>> "normalize" those attributes into another entity or entities.
> Well, each phone is going to have a PTN, IMEI, SIM that is uniqe to
> that phone.  But I guess that the PTN could be the top level
> attribute, and everything else (IMEI, SIM, Acct.#, Acct name) could be
> related to it.  I would also like to have some sort of widget that
> would search the DB from last month and let me know if I have filed
> for compensation on the repair, or if the repair has been paid for at
> the time of the transaction.  If it is a repair that I can file
> on...or one that I would have to file multiple times to get fully
> compensated, I would like the widget to tell me that I could do that
> "today" and give me the entries that I can file on.  (so i guess that
> i will have to have a way to flag a record(?) as paid/not paid)
>
>>  That's where each attribute
>> of each entity is dependent upon the key, the whole key, and nothing but
>> the key, so help me Codd.  (E.F. Codd, an IBM fellow, created relational
>> database theory.)  :-)
> Wow, that's the first database joke I've ever heard....Wow
>
> That's something of what I think I want to be able to do.  Am I headed
> in the right direction?
> Also, can you give me some examples of normalization, indexes, keys,
> etc?  Also, what the heck is a DBA?
>
> All in all, Thanks Jim
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//========================================================\\
||  D. Hageman                    <dhageman at dracken.com>  ||
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