Planning Is Important!

How many times have you dived enthusiastically into a new craft or skill without really knowing what you were doing? Your first attempt was probably pretty poor, whether the pursuit was pottery or computer programming. But as you worked, you probably made notes to yourself of what you'd do differently next time, and the next time you did better.

With something as important as your database, however, you can't afford to experiment through trial and error. So in this lesson, I'll give you a crash course in the database planning that most people learn the hard way.

Before you create your database, you should ask the following questions:

• What data do I want to store, and what is the best way to organize it? This determines what tables you'll need.

• What data entry actions do I perform in the course of my business or hobby? This determines the forms you'll need.

• What information do I want to know about the status of the business or hobby? This answer will tell you what reports you'll want.