Chapter 14. Bad Design—What Not To Do

 

Mistakes are always initial.

 
 --Cesare Pavese

Topics Covered in This Chapter

  • Flat-File Design

  • Spreadsheet Design

  • Dealing with the Spreadsheet View Mind-set

  • Database Design Based on the Database Software

  • A Final Thought

  • Summary

You may have wondered why this chapter appears at the end of the book as opposed to at the beginning. The reason is simple: Now that you've learned how to design a database properly, you can appreciate the dangers presented by a poorly designed database. Furthermore, you will be able to determine for yourself why a particular design is bad—you'll look at the design and be able to identify the problems with the structure immediately. Also you now possess the knowledge needed to determine possible ...

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