Racing League Database Help

[TangoWhiskey28]

Hello all,

I am new to the forums and am needing some help. I am somewhat familiar with Access and Excel. I currently use an Excel spreadsheet to calculate points and input race results into. I am wanting to create a database to track statistics, results, and calculate points standings. I have no idea where to start with Access and if you guys could help steer me in the right direction that would be great. If not, I understand as well.

Thanks,

TangoWhiskey28

[ranman256]

you will have a little learning to do, but this is the perfect medium to use.
you will need to define a few tables...like:
tRacers table
----------
RacerID (autonum)
FirstN
LastN
etc...

Tracks table
---------
TrackID (autonum)
TrackName
addr
etc...


tRaces
---------
RaceID (autonum)
TrackID (long)
RaceDate
etc...


tRaceHeats
------------
HeatID (autonum)
RaceID (long)
Heat#
RaceTime
etc...


tRaceRacer table
----------------
HeatID (long)
RacerID (long)
Racer#
FinishTime (date/time)
IsWinner (y/n)


tStats table
------------

[TangoWhiskey28]

OK that is a starting point. Thanks for the guidance, I will see what I can come up with and go from there. Again, Thank You.

[TangoWhiskey28]

All my tables are created, any idea what to do next? Form creation?

you will have a little learning to do, but this is the perfect medium to use.
you will need to define a few tables...like:
tRacers table
----------
RacerID (autonum)
FirstN
LastN
etc...

Tracks table
---------
TrackID (autonum)
TrackName
addr
etc...


tRaces
---------
RaceID (autonum)
TrackID (long)
RaceDate
etc...


tRaceHeats
------------
HeatID (autonum)
RaceID (long)
Heat#
RaceTime
etc...


tRaceRacer table
----------------
HeatID (long)
RacerID (long)
Racer#
FinishTime (date/time)
IsWinner (y/n)


tStats table
------------

[Micron]

probably depends on who you ask. I advocate building queries first. If they don't retrieve the required info, or allow edits/appends as needed, a form you build then base on a query is pretty much useless. I don't base forms on tables if I can help it. When multiple tables are involved in a recordset, you often have no choice but to use queries.

[ranman256]

forms for the basic input tables
racers
races
tracks.

then you get into parent/child forms:
races/heats/racers
tracks/races

[TangoWhiskey28]

Thanks Ranman and Micron, really appreciate your assistance.

[TangoWhiskey28]

Here is what I have so far

[TangoWhiskey28]

I also created relationships between the tables. Not sure if this is the correct way to do this. Please excuse my novice questions, its been a long time since I've messed with Access.

[aytee111]

I would add some fields to the race table to know whether it was held or not, such as weather.

The results table doesn't make sense, you are only keeping track of the winner, not any of the other placings? One-to-one tables make no sense at all, merge all the data into one table.

Stats - Read up about database normalization - one of the rules is that you don't repeat information. Also stats are values that change all the time so it is pointless keeping the values on a table. Rather have a standard set of queries to display the information as needed.

Naming conventions: basic rules - no spaces and no special characters except underscore (referring to # above). Also Access reserved words such as Date.