Size

[jammerculture]

Lets say I have many different types of material for example screws, conduit, and enclosures that all have a size attribute. I store these attributes in a tblSize. However each type of material has different units or conventions to size them. Screws are described with a unitless size, a #8 screw, whereas conduit is sized in inches, a 3" conduit, and enclosures are sized in square units, a 4x4 enclosure. Would I need separate tables for tblEnclosureSize, tblScrewSize and tblConduitsize, or will I be fine with a tblSize that has a size filed and a units field? Also similar situation if I am dealing with quantities of the material. Screws and enclosures are ordered as a number, conduit ordered as a length. Can I still use a quantity field but specify units? Thanks. Also why can't I make paragraphs on this forum? Is it because I am using ie 10 on windows 8?

[June7]

I think tblSize with the two fields sounds reasonable. As far as quantity, does it matter what the unit is if you simply want to multiply the number of items times unit price to determine value? The units field is just more descriptive info.

About the paragraphing, should just be pressing Enter key twice. Don't know why IE 10 on Windows 8 has an issue with that.

[Rod]

jammerculture,

Naughty! Asking the same questions on two different threads! Beware of becomming confused as there are always different ways of doing the same thing; you can't mix some of this with some of that.

As for the size question, size as previously discussed is a descriptive, classifying and identifying attribute. Don't mix this with a 'Unit of Order.' You will need both. In fact the unit of order may be different from the unit of issue, etc. For example a 1.5" #8 countersunk, slotted wood screw may be ordered in boxes of 100 but issued as each.