Database expert needed!

[PJay]

Hi!
I need to develop a database with the following data:
Client contact details (name, address, etc, and up to 1000 clients)
date
variable alpha string
variable numeric string

and I need to be able to sort by reference to any of them.

Any ideas as to which software would be best?

[Sanity Clause]

Microsoft Access should do it just fine.

[PJay]

Originally Posted by Sanity Clause

Microsoft Access should do it just fine.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Access is what I'm using at the moment, but ...

each client has a number of variable numeric strings in their record; so, for example, I might want to see how many clients have a particular number in their record. Can you suggest how the Table should be constructed? Should each Table contain one Client's details?

[Sanity Clause]

I'm no expert with Access and it's been a long time since I even looked at it but from the information you have given you could almost make do with a spreadsheet, rather than a database. I can't remember whether Excel will do a count of a particular variable, but if it does then that would do. But I guess this is some kind of homework and only a database will do.

The extent to which you should go for "relationality" depends on how much information is shared between clients and whether the infomation shares clients. So far you only have one kind of entity so only need one table. More entities means more tables.

[chipstone]

You can use Access to create the master table including all the variable data entries, and then create an Access query over the database table to isolate what information you want summarized.

Also, since the number of records is so small you can use Excel and create a pivot table from an external data source, namely your access database. The Pivot table will allow you customize the summarized info you may require and it’s dynamic, all you need to do after adding records to the database you refresh the pivot table to include all data to date.

[PJay]

Originally Posted by chipstone

You can use Access to create the master table including all the variable data entries, and then create an Access query over the database table to isolate what information you want summarized.

Also, since the number of records is so small you can use Excel and create a pivot table from an external data source, namely your access database. The Pivot table will allow you customize the summarized info you may require and it’s dynamic, all you need to do after adding records to the database you refresh the pivot table to include all data to date.

Very helpful, Chipstone. thanks