Database Reference
In-Depth Information
views were solely meant to identify (in general terms) how the organization col-
lects and presents the data it uses. In this phase, however, you'll ask specific ques-
tions about the samples you assembled during those reviews. This will enable you
to clarify the aspects of a specific sample that you consider to be vague or ambigu-
ous.
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They provide information on the way the organization uses its data.
These inter-
views will provide you with information on how users work with the organiza-
tion's data on a daily basis and how management uses information based on that
data to manage the organization's affairs.
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They are instrumental in defining preliminary field and table structures.
The re-
sponses you receive from users and management during this round of interviews
will help you identify initial field and table structures for the database.
•
They help to define future information requirements.
The discussions you'll have
with users and management regarding the organization's future growth will often
reveal new information requirements that must be supported by the database.
I cannot overemphasize, and you must not underestimate, the impact interviews have on
the final database structure and how important they are to your successful completion of
the database design process. Only full and complete interviews will help you ensure that
the database you design fulfills your organization's information requirements.
Basic Interview Techniques
Inorderforyoutoconductsuccessfulinterviews,youmustfirstlearnafewbasicinterview
techniques. I address this issue here by providing you with a set of fundamental techniques
thatyoucanusetoconducteveryinterviewwithinthedatabasedesignprocess.Thesetech-
niques are relatively easy to learn and apply and they'll enable you to obtain the informa-
tion you require for the task at hand.
You'llprobablyexecutethesetechniquesinastrict,mechanicalfashionasyou'rejuststart-
ing to learn them, but you'll apply them more instinctively and intuitively as you conduct
further interviews and gain additional experience. Conducting an interview is a skill, and,
as with any other skill, you will achieve various degrees of expertise with patience and
practice.
The Importance of Questions
Learning how to ask a question is a valuable skill that you'll have to learn and develop if
you're going to be successful at designing databases. It is what you will use to understand
how your (or your client's) business works and enable you to gather the information you
need to develop the various structures for the database. And, as you may have already sur-
