Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 7.12. Revised field names
In
Figure 7.12
, “Classes” is shortened to “Cls,” “Subjects” is shortened to “Subj,” “In-
structors” is shortened to “Inst,” “Student” is shortened to “Std,” and “Social Security
Number” replaces “SSN.” Remember that abbreviations can be very useful so long as they
are meaningful and understood by everyone in the organization. Using proper and appro-
priate abbreviations will not detract from the meaning of the field name.
Note
Throughout the remainder of the chapter and the rest of the topic, table names
within the text appear in all capital letters (such as VENDORS) and field names
within the text appear in small capital letters (such as V
ENDOR
ID N
UMBER
).
Using an Ideal Field to Resolve Anomalies
Although you've carefully identified the fields on your Preliminary Field List, you may
havecreatedafewfieldsthatcouldproveproblematictothetablestructure.Poorlydefined
fields can cause duplicate data and redundant data, and they can be difficult to use. You
might find it difficult to determine whether any of the fields in a table is going to cause
problems unless you know the warning signs. The best way to identify potentially trouble-
