I think Filemaker actually will try to complete the field as you type it. So, if you are Typing Amadeus it will complete it before you do. A small database of like 1000 pieces can easily be done flat file, and really doesn't warrant a huge relational structure, especially when the person who is setting it up probably does not do that sort of thing in the first place (or else, why would they have been asking).
Your points on 14 years of DB yada yada doesn't mean anything in this case......and it is going past what the original question asker wanted to do. They want to keep track of their music and who has what. This can be done, in the easiest way, on index cards or something, or a flat file database like Bento or Filemaker or something. That is totally what the original poster should aim for. On the flip side, a relational database is very easily messed up. You delete the foreign key to the composers table that was linking song titles to their composers. Not easy at all to fix. And a lot of people who have no database experience can very easily do this. On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 3:17 PM, David W. Fenton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > But if you also want to be able to put together information > > on the composers, you'd have the composer information in one > > table, the information on the individual works in another > > table, and you could even build a third table comprised of > > information on the individual members of the ensemble, which > > would make it possible to keep track of who had which string > > parts for which pieces. > > > > That needs a relational database, not a flat-file. > > And one of the chief benefits is that you maintain consistency of > your data entry. If you pick a composer from a dropdown list that > presents the contents of your composer table, then you can never > misspell the composer. If you're typing it again and again into each > record, you've not only made yourself more work, but you're also > making it very easy to end up with the same composer spelled > different ways. > > This is the whole point of relational data -- you remove duplicate > data, which improves efficiency of the data storage (and data entry), > but it also improves the accuracy of the data that gets entered. On > top of that, it also makes it easier to reliably query your data, > since you know that it conforms to certain data entry norms that are > enforced by your relational structure, as opposed to being entered > according to the vagaries of the fumble fingers of the people doing > the data entry. > > _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
