How to "combine" the values of two tables?

[Steven Seagal]

Here I have two tables. The first one categorizes items by certain descriptions from a fixed list. Each description, eg; "Big Size" is categorized in the table below with a minutes key. I want to create a table/query that is of the form of the 3rd table. I showed only the first record as an example, replacing minutes with each description.

Item	Size	Strength	Agility
A	Big	Strong	Slow
B	Small	Strong	Fast
C	Small	Strong	Fast
D	Small	Weak	Fast
E	Medium	Weak	Fast
F	Medium	Medium	Fast
G	Small	Medium	Medium
H	Big	Medium	Medium
Description	Type	Minutes
Size	Small	1
Size	Medium	2
Size	Big	3
Strength	Weak	5
Strength	Medium	2.5
Strength	Strong	1
Agility	Slow	10
Agility	Medium	5
Agility	Fast	0.5

I want to "combine" these tables to make the table look like this without changing the design of the above two tables. If I MUST change the design of one of the tables, that's fine, just let me know how.

Item	Size	Strength	Agility
A	3	1	10

How would I be able to handle this? I have no idea what type of query I would use or how it would arranged. I'm also pretty stupid at SQL so i probably wouldn't understand too many answers that had a lot of that in them, unfortunately.

Thanks!

[JoeM]

There are a few different ways to approach this.
1. Split your second table into three separate "lookup" tables (one for Size, one for Strength, and one for Agility)
or
2. Create three queries (or subqueries) out of your second table (one for Size, one for Strength, and one for Agility, using the Description code as the Criteria for each one to limit it just to that particular description).

So, then you have three queries (or tables), one for each Description. Then create a new query, linking the three new queries (tables) to your original table.
The first one would link your Size query (table) to the original table by joining the Type field in the Size query (table) to the Size field in your main table.
Repeat for the other two, joining on the appropriate fields.

Then you can return the values you need.

[Steven Seagal]

This really set me on the right track! Thanks!

[pbaldy]

I'm with JoeM with choice 1. What you're attempting looks like what's often called the One True Lookup Table. While it has its proponents, I think the consensus is that it's better to have individual tables.

Edit: am I a slow typist or what!