should I use multiple database files?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi,
At present I have a database for my art works (in-house brewed myself). In
it is a table with details of CG and drawn art works with linked thumbnails.
(Still need to add entries per photo prints groups yet). It also has
numerous queries ie keyword searches, folder contents etc.

My question is I plan on cataloging props preferably with little thumbnail
images for each. Should I simply have a props table within the same MS Acess
database file or in a seperate one?

If a seperate one then How would I call up details from the artworks
database of works that i used a particular prop in (based on a used table
within the props database)

Eventually the system that I am building will be used by me to manage
graphics resources - art works, props and referance stuff.

Thanks for your time.
 
I havn't started setting up the props database stuff yet as at the initial
planning stage. The Art works database itself on the other hand is existing
and is about to recieve a bit of an overhaul.


But the common fields will be the record number for the artworks (auto
generated when art works entered into the system) and probably the art
work/projecttitle. I am wanting to be able to clik on those to call up the
details on that art work (date created, medium, stored/files where etc).

It would be a many to many relationship as there can be more than one prop
used in a art work's photo shoot, and any given prop can be used in more than
one art work photo shoot.
 
You can have a table for ArtWorks [having a ArtWorkID, which you referenced
to as record number], another for Props [having a PropID] and a third linking
both [ArtWorkID and PropID].

Maintaining ArtWorks and Props in different databases reduces the extent of
data loss in case of corruption.
 
S said:
You can have a table for ArtWorks [having a ArtWorkID, which you referenced
to as record number], another for Props [having a PropID] and a third linking
both [ArtWorkID and PropID].

Maintaining ArtWorks and Props in different databases reduces the extent of
data loss in case of corruption.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that I'd consider that the primary justification for
separate database files, though. If you're worried about corruption, or
even if you're not, you really ought to be making backup copies (and I
usually compress mine) every day, or every update, or whenever you've
done enough work that you don't want to have to redo it.

To me, better reasons for maintaining multiple database files are that a
combined file is getting too large (around 2 gigabytes) for Access to
maintain, or that one of the database files is maintained by somebody
else and you don't have control over it.

-- Vincent Johns <[email protected]>
Please feel free to quote anything I say here.
 
Thanks.

It looks like the props database will be built within the database that
holds details of my art works.

I don't think the 2gb limit you mentioned will be an issue partly due to the
fact that my computer mainpulated works can take weeks to complete and
drawings hours.
Also because I am currently overhauling the contextual help system (which
will use msg box macros in a macro group instead of the current macros,table
and forms)

Re corruption, I do periodically do backups, and with doing upgrades to it I
make a seperate copy and work with that so I can't stuff it up irreversably
(and no data entry done during upgrade)

Vincent Johns said:
S said:
You can have a table for ArtWorks [having a ArtWorkID, which you referenced
to as record number], another for Props [having a PropID] and a third linking
both [ArtWorkID and PropID].

Maintaining ArtWorks and Props in different databases reduces the extent of
data loss in case of corruption.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that I'd consider that the primary justification for
separate database files, though. If you're worried about corruption, or
even if you're not, you really ought to be making backup copies (and I
usually compress mine) every day, or every update, or whenever you've
done enough work that you don't want to have to redo it.

To me, better reasons for maintaining multiple database files are that a
combined file is getting too large (around 2 gigabytes) for Access to
maintain, or that one of the database files is maintained by somebody
else and you don't have control over it.

-- Vincent Johns <[email protected]>
Please feel free to quote anything I say here.
Click to expand...
 
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