Multilevel product and package relationship.

[J]

I am trying to find the best way to organize my data structure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the basics.I have a typical product database with basic products that I tie into inventory, etc. I also include different variations of those products in multiple different packages. I want these to be connected to an order table. What is the best way to organize this?

Should I just add a different check box for each package to products table that says if they are included in that package? This would be connected to the order table.

or Should I make a package table that has a relationship to the products table? Then connect both to the order table?

Any suggestions?

Thank you for your help in advance.

Jason

FileMaker Version: Server 7

Platform: Windows 2000

[Reed]

Since each product could be included in many packages and each package contains many products, you should create a table for each and a third join table that connects them, indentifying which products are included in which packages. The order table could then be related to these.

[J]

Thank you for your response.

Could you explain a little more? Not sure if I follow exactly.

Thank you for you help.

Any other ideas?

[Reed]

I posted a simple many-to-many example a couple of weeks ago here:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/100278/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

read this and download the attached file:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/download.php?Number=100311

you should be able to adapt that to different scenarios.