The truth is you have been using databases all your life. A simple address book is an example of a database. So is a box of recipe cards.

In general, a database is made up of one or more tables of information and, optionally, some means for adding to the table, extracting data from the tables, or reporting some data from the tables. Each table consists of one or more rows ("records"), each with several "fields" or columns. Although these days all these are probably on a computer, they don’t necessarily have to be.

It all began long ago. Years ago a company made a clever product. It was just a box full of 3 by 5 cards. Along the top of each card was a row of punched holes, maybe an eighth of an inch in diameter and a quarter inch down from the top of the card.

You'd put, say, a customer’s name, address and phone number (fields) on the card, but then you did something more. If the customer fit "category A" — which you decided on — you left Hole A intact. If not, you clipped off the card above hole A to make it a notch instead of a hole. You did the same for another dozen or so holes, and similarly on every card.

If you wanted to contact all of category A, you'd put something like a knitting needle through the cards where hole A was, from front to back of the stack of cards. Everyone in category A (having hole A intact) would remain on the knitting needle, ready to be addressed or phoned, but no one else. This was an example of a table plus a query.

Anyway, back to PCs. I said that a database has one or more tables. The software that can manage a database on a PC can usually manage "related" tables. What are related tables? There are a few different types, but let me use examples to make this clearer.

Let’s say your company has hundreds of pieces of equipment and furniture. Each is kept in a single list of an equipment number, date acquired, description, and the department it is assigned to with the name and phone number of the department head and of the department administrator.

Look it up: One time saver, if the list is on a PC, is a "lookup table." This would be a separate table with a short code or abbreviation for each department, and the name and phone number of the department head and of the department administrator. The list of equipment shows just the department code. No need to write down all the other stuff about the department, nor to change it when a department gets a new administrator. The stuff about the department is in the Department table — just change it once.

Another example: a table of clients, including personal information to help you ask the client, when you call, "How is your wife, Marge, and what college is your son Tom, Jr., going to?" The data about Tom, Sr. — like phone number, name of company, date of last order, etc. — is in the "Client" table. But there is also a "Spouse and Kids" table that lists their names, birthdays, relationships, favorite flowers and flavors, etc. There is no need to guess how many spaces (rows) to allow in the main table for "enough" kids. Just use this "related detail" table.

PC database software — such as Access or Paradox for Windows — will let you see just the related records you want, with the magic of a "form."

You start by building the "structure" of each table. That means the names of the "fields," such as Surname, First or Middle Name, Street Address, City, et al. Next, you tell the program you want a new "form." A form usually shows just one main ("master") record at a time, to add, edit or just view, for example, one client.

You just tell Access, for example, which one of the listed tables is your master table. The Access "Wizard" will then design a form for you, including color and other fancies. You can also have it build a "subform’ that shows, for example, the spouse and children, and link it so only the one client’s spouse and kids show up.

It's a matter of focus. Although typing in the data will take time, all the preparation can be done in a few minutes, if you first plan out what data you want to store, and what lookup and detail tables you need. Do your planning with the computer turned off, and focus on the reports you might later want.

What's the reason for all this? The purpose of keeping a database is not just so you can say "I have it all on computer," but to get useful information. You can extract all kinds of information from your data! Here are two examples: A simple one is "all the customers in one ZIP," to make it easy to visit them in one day. Much more complex to construct but maybe more useful is a ranking of the total sales dollars ordered by customers, grouped by area code, with the largest dollar area code at the top.

A Query? In general, to get the information for the examples I just mentioned, or any others, you use a "query." A query is an instruction to the software of what you want by way of selecting and aggregating data.

Typically, in a query you have to say which records you want ("only from ZIP 21045"), which fields you want ("just the name and phone, not the address"), what totals or averages you want ("sum of sales volume") and maybe a sort order ("descending sum of sales volume"). Once you get it to do what you want, you can store a query by descriptive name for future use.

A Report? You can also use a query as a data source for a "report." A report describes what you want your output to look like — columns or blocks, colors, fonts — all the "pretty printing" your imagination and time allow. You can also save a report by a descriptive name. A report might even be a personalized letter. The report modules in Access and Paradox are as easy to use for attractive results as a modern word processor, and about as easy to learn.

Interested? You can reach me at:
phil@ttgservices.com

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