Special Edition Using Microsoft® Office XP

Secrets of the Office Masters: A Database Design Checklist

Before you begin creating database objects, think carefully about who will use the database and what kind of reports you'll need to produce from the data stored within it. Use the following checklist to define your design:

• Storing data— How much data do you plan to enter? How much training and expertise will be required of those who are responsible for that data entry? Will you need to create systems to ensure accurate and reliable data entry?

• Retrieving data— What relationships do you need to establish among the different sets of data that you produce? How can you exploit these relationships to create new combinations of data from different sources? Do you need to subtotal or summarize ...