How to properly record attendance?

  • Thread starter Thread starter default105
  • Start date Start date
D

default105

Access 2k3

I need to record when a student attends class. Date attended, time they
logged in, etc. I started to set up this db years ago but the person
requesting it decided they did not want it, now they do. Even though I know
a hundred fold more than I did then, I still have much to learn. I remember
before I posted here and I was creating a record for the student each time
they logged in(which will only ever be once per day) in the tblAttendance
table. I was told then that this is not the correct way for access to do
this. However, for the life of me, I can not figure out how to set it up to
follow 3nf without using a table for attendance and a record for each
individual student attendance login. Thanks for the help.
 
I was creating a record for the student each time they logged in(which will
only ever be once per day) in the tblAttendance table.
I do not know who said it was wrong but that is how relational databases
work - not like a spreadsheet where you may have a record per student and
columns for each days attendance like marking X's on a calendar.

How are you going to collect the data? Does each student have an ID with
bar code and 'login' uses a bar code reader to enter DateTime?

You could use a table of class dates and collect absences as you scroll down
the class roster ticking then off.

How do you play to use the data?
 
There is one computer that all students use to login when they arrive. They
use a form to login with a number and password assigned for that
student.This is a database to collect information for a martial arts school.
The attendance is used to make sure they have to required time for testing
and track tardiness. I thought that using a table with a foreign key was
correct but I just figured that there was something I was missing. No card
reader or bar code. Thanks for the prompt reply.
--
Pete Blackburn - words to live by:
"Don''t ever let somebody tell you. You can''t do something.You got a
dream,You gotta protect it." Edited Quote from the Pursuit Of Happiness
 
I thought that using a table with a foreign key was correct
Yep, you are right. One table for all information on the student with a
one-to-many relationship the your attendance table. Use StudentID field as
Autonumber for primary key. The Attendance would have a primary key field
and a foreign key, number - long integer - to match the primary of student
table. Create the relationship select options for Referential Integerity
and Cascade Update.
 
Back
Top