Re: [GENERAL] scheduling table design

Barnes wrote:
>
> I'm trying to build what amounts to an appointment book for a doctor's
> office.  ...
>
> If anyone has any suggestions or advice regarding table design, I would
> really appreciate it.  I'm not sure at all where to start.  With things like
> open appointments, this seems much more complex than the typical name,
> address, phone number databases I've done in the past.

A short answer to a rather complex question...

You might consider looking into "Entity-Relationship Modelling".  You
can read about E-R modelling in almost any relational database book;
it is the heart of relational database design.  Other helpful
processes for ER-modelling include user-interface prototypes and
"Use-Case Scenarios", also available in software design texts.
Another related crucially important process is "normalization".  It is
also readily described in cryptic academe-speak in the same RDBMS
texts, but if you're fortunate, you can find an author able to
translate into understandable english:).  Normalization is essentially
a process that helps you avoid some painful chronic ER-Modelling
mistakes.

ER-modelling can be quite tedious, but has a huge and lasting payoff
during development and evolution if done well.

Cheers,
Ed Loehr