Design question

[tbcomputerguy]

Hi there, I have been asked to assist in creating a database for a group in my city. The organization is a hub for children called best start. Currently there are 3 hubs in the city. You can visit any of them on any day providing they are available. Each time you visit, you have to fill out your name, address (namely postal code) and the names of your children, d.o.b's, the date, time etc... I find this redundant info once you've done it. Would it be easy to setup a database to for instance, have the parent register once with all pertinant info, then when they visit a hub, they select the hub which would be set as a default location and then date, times, whether the children are present, if so which ones. Then somehow through reports, show a login history of each family and where they are visiting. this way showing the organizers trends and such. As it is right now i have had to fill out a registration package at each hub. Not very practical.

Any ideas would be greatly appreicated.

Dave

[bcooney]

Not sure what you question is...

Yes, sounds like a nice FM project. Of course, all hubs need to access the same served file.

[tbcomputerguy]

I guess my question was, can this be done in Filemaker and sorry to say but where do I start? Should I tell them they need to invest in FM sErver edition first? Then on to me: regarding design, i think that the database should be designed based on the "parent" as the main table. They have the "children" as I led to believe is the term coined for child tables. Funny how the parent/child related tables fall into place here. Anyways, any guidance would be appreciated.

Dave

[bcooney]

My guidance would be to contact a Filemaker developer.

EDIT: Ok, that was snarky. But honestly, you're presenting yourself as a developer to this client? Maybe others on this forum will help you "develop by forum," but you ought to at least read the manual.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Guest

[comment]

I am not sure what your question is either. Can this be done in Filemaker? Sure. Where do you start? Impossible to answer. You have presented a project (quite well, I should say) but it IS a project. Any attempt to give you specific advice at this point would require doing the actual work for you.

That said, I'd suggest you start by drawing an ERD listing all the necessary tables and the relationships between them. Use this process to remove all those "somehow", "various" and "as such" parts of your description. Then build a sketch of the solution and see how it works.

Another point worth exploring is the relationship between the three hubs. Is there any - other than having to combine their reports at some point? If these hubs can operate independently of each other, then you can save the expense (and the headache) of running a server.

[Lee Smith]

I agree with Barbara about reading the manuals.

I almost replied to your question, right after Barbara did, this morning, but I found myself asking questions about the structure, the reasons that they needed to have the clients fill out all of the data information each visit even though they had done so previously, etc. i.e I was designing your database for you, without the benefit of having discussed with the client what they wanted to have in their solution.

If it were me, I would start by reading everything I could get my hands on about how to design a database. This would include the manuals that came with your application, and purchasing one or more of the after market books, taking a class at a local college, purchasing the training videos that are available online, and then find a tutor/mentor/developer to work with me. If for no other reason, then to check my structure, progress, and finished product.

BTW, do not be fooled by FileMakers reputation about being easy to use and learn. While it is true that you can make a simple database for such things as a rolodex, the more complicated it becomes, the steeper the learning curve. So, depending on your background in database design and use, your personal learning curve can very a great deal. Also, learning FileMaker is not the same as learning one of it's competitor, they all do things a little differently.

HTH

Lee

[David Jondreau]

Don't buy Server, pay a monthly fee to have the database hosted by a 3rd party service, like MacUSA.net or Point in Space or WorldCloud.

Tablewise, you'd want to start with Hubs, Memberships, People, and Attendance.

[tbcomputerguy]

Hi guys/gals. Bcoony, yes a little snarky, but no offense taken. I was merely asking can it be done in FM. I am computer savvy but not database, let alone filemaker. So I asked about the server because there are three hubs. I assumed that would require a server. As for your answer lee, yes I have full intentions on getting / reading / watching the tuts and books etc. I have started to read a bit, that is why i asked about the parent / child thingy. And bcoony I have not indicated to them that I am a developer by any stretch. They are very computer iliterate and I am the one with some knowledge, so they asked me if I could do this. I believe that I can. I will also follow comments ideas on the ERD's and such. Then I shall proceed with putting together DJ's table suggestions and see what I come up with.

Thank you all for answering.

TCG

[Vaughan]

I have started to read a bit, that is why i asked about the parent / child thingy.

Cool, you're even starting to pick up some of the jargon.

I'm all for learning on the job, but building a mission-critical business management system is not really the time or place.

[David McQueen]

Hi Dave,

I have built a program that does these things and more. It is used for Ontario Early Years Centres from Toronto north to the Kawartha Lakes. It does attendance for multiple centres, library management, event planning, capital listing and volunteer management.Attendance is taken with scan cards. It sounds much like what you need.

I did this for a social service agency in this area and they do have the rights to it. Feel free to contact me at:

[email protected]

I can send you through some contact information. Then you can talk to these people and see if they can or will help you out. Whatever they would charge you would probably be far less than the development cost of a similar program. I know the hours into this development. They sold it out to other agencies to help cover their development costs.