Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us
Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network
Home
Discussion GroupsFormsForms ProgrammingQueriesModules / DAO / VBAReports / PrintingMacrosDatabase DesignSecurityConversionImporting / LinkingSQL Server / ADPMultiuser / NetworkingReplicationSetup / ConfigurationDeveloper ToolkitsActiveX ControlsNew UsersGeneral 1General 2
Access DirectoryToolsTutorialsUser Groups
Related Topics
SQL ServerOther DB ProductsMS OfficeMore Topics ...

MS Access Forum / Database Design / January 2004

Tip: Looking for answers? Try searching our database.

Too Many Fields??

Thread view: 
Enable EMail Alerts  Start New Thread
Thread rating: 
Shaun Allan - 19 Jan 2004 12:23 GMT
I've a database set up to record refinery equipment for
risk based inspection.  I've reached the limit, it seems,
of 255 fields.  Thankfully, that's going to have to be
enough, but I need to change a number field (well, there's
about 5 in the set) to a text field so more than one value
can be entered in the same field.  WHenever I try to do
this, it tells me there's Too Many Fields, but I'm not
trying to increase the number of fields, just alter
existing ones.  Is there a way round this?
Cheryl Fischer - 19 Jan 2004 14:15 GMT
You can compact and repair the database and see if that allows you a little
more "leeway".

However, it appears from the brief description of your database that you are
building an application with highly un-normalized data which is going to
give you much grief down the road when you need to build queries and reports
and otherwise tap into the database for fast and accurate return of
information.

Here is a link which you may want to review regarding normalizing data:

Normalizing Your Database:  First Normal Form
http://databases.about.com/library/weekly/aa081901a.htm

And a suggested book on database design:

"Database Design for Mere Mortals"  Amazon link
http://tinyurl.com/2c6bp

--
Cheryl Fischer
Law/Sys Associates
Houston, TX

> I've a database set up to record refinery equipment for
> risk based inspection.  I've reached the limit, it seems,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> trying to increase the number of fields, just alter
> existing ones.  Is there a way round this?
Roger Carlson - 19 Jan 2004 14:18 GMT
I'm sorry, but you are stuck.  Once you reach the field limit, you can neither add nor modify fields.  

But your problems go much deeper than this.  You are breaking all of the rules of relational database design.  You are "comitting spreadsheet", that is, using your database as if it were a spreadsheet.  It's not.

The real solution to your problem is to completely redesign your database according to a group of design principles called Normalization.  Normalization is a way of grouping related data into smaller tables to reduce redundant data.  This reduces the size of the database as well as allowing you to have much more confidence in its accuracy.

Most trade press books have some reference to Normalization theory, but I'd suggest two in particular:
"Access Database Design & Programming" By Steven Roman (O'Reilly)
"Database Design for Mere Mortals : A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design" By Michael J. Hernandez

You might also want to download: reldes00.exe, Microsoft's Designing a Database -- Understanding Relational Design Whitepaper.  You can find it here: http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/knowledge.html 

If you continue with this design, you will have a never ending series of problems.  Proper design can eliminate virtually all of them.

Signature

--Roger Carlson
 www.rogersaccesslibrary.com
 Reply to: Roger dot Carlson at Spectrum-Health dot Org

> I've a database set up to record refinery equipment for
> risk based inspection.  I've reached the limit, it seems,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> trying to increase the number of fields, just alter
> existing ones.  Is there a way round this?
 
Sign In
Join
My Latest Posts
My Monitored Threads
My Blog
My Photo Gallery
My Profile
My Homepage

Start New Thread
Enable EMail Alerts
Rate this Thread



©2008 Advenet LLC   Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.