Hi Everyone,

Need some advise on Linked Tables. I am currently in the process of re-designing a couple of databases that we use in my department for data collection and reporting.

We have Several tables that are common between these two db's. One is our Department List and the other is our Expense Account List.

Does Linking tables affect the way the db performs? Would it be better to just import them into tables and have to maintain each individual table in each db instaed of just the Excel file?

I've only gotten so far so I would like to get some feed back on this before i get to involved in the redesign and building everything.

Thank you.

Hi,

Whenever you have redundant tables, it's always a good idea to link them instead of importing them. The reason, as you stated, is that otherwise you have to maintain the table in multiple databases. The trick is to know where the main table should reside, and all the other "user" DBs should link to.

My personal rule of thumb is that the main table resides in the app that has the authority to add and delete records. You wouldn't want a time-keeping DB to add or delete employees, for instance, so the "Employees" table would reside in a "Personnel" DB, and the time-keeping DB would simply link to it.

Sam