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I have a few questions about using access.
Is it improper to have a table with over a hundred fields in it? Myself and one other person will be the only ones using the database, so speed isn't really an issue.
I will need to record a test that has about twenty different fields of information that I need recorded. But this test is repeated multiple times per patient. So should I have a huge table with columns for every field of information repeated for the different times the test is taken, like test1, field1, etc to test2, field2, etc.? Or should I split it up so the columns would just be test, field, etc, and I would make a new row everytime any patient came in instead of updating the same row under different columns? (the problem with this is then I would have to further organize, and create a query (which I would need to learn how to do) if I wanted all of a patients test information in one report (and I would not be able to see all one persons test information it all in the same form).
Besides just testing, I will have demographic, clinical exam info, medications info, and lab info. I can put this in different tables that are related, but I don't really know why that could be neccesary. Should I have it all in one table?
How can you make a drop down menu of choices of data without the data being an existing field in a table? For example I want to only be given the choices "1" "2" "3" or "4" for a specific column.
I am obviously a beginner at access and any advice would be appreciated.
Is it improper to have a table with over a hundred fields in it? Myself and one other person will be the only ones using the database, so speed isn't really an issue.
Number of fields really isn't an issue, but when designing a database you want to aim for "normalization" where you have absolutely no duplicate data stored anywhere.
I would create a user profile table, with a unique number, and then create tables with the data for that user. You can have multiple rows in your test result table, maybe with a unique date or timestamp for each time a test is taken.
Yes, you will have to learn some SQL and web interfacing with ASP to make it really useful, but it can be done without a great deal of grief.
You might want to look to hire it out. It sounds very simple and shouldn't cost too much to get it done.
