Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5-1. Here's a list of things your database will do. A list like this helps you start figuring out
your entities and possible tables. A more complex database could have a much longer list. Some
big systems start with a list several pages long. Even if you think you'll start with a simple data-
base, make this list your “blue sky” list. What are all the things you think your database will ever
need to do? Sometimes starting out with a kitchen-sink approach helps you focus on what's most
important. And if you whittle down the list once you start to work, those deleted items often form a
roadmap for phase two of your development.
Figure 5-2. After evaluating the database features you came up with, you've now got a list of the
entities represented in each one. Often they're obvious, like Customers and Jobs. Others, like In-
voice Line Items, can be less apparent. With a little experience, though, these get easier to tease
out.
By comparing different entities in this way, you can figure out how each entity relates to oth-
er entities. Your notes as you consider these relationships might look something like
Fig-
ure 5-3
.
