I think that if there is anything useful to Archaeologists (not IT people) I
would say whatever you use the best thing is to start small. Wherever you
are with the catalog it is a fallacy to think that you can get exactly what
you are looking for from the start.

By start small I mean, as an example, start with an address table and add
the fields that you think you will need. Only use that for addresses. Say
create a category table and use that for categories only. Think about the
common field to link them together, maybe not a field that is used for
anything else but if it is make sure that only catagories from the catagory
table are used in the address table. use queries to view and manupulate the
data and try not use the underlying data directly.

You need an understanding of where you want to get to before starting but
don't try to achieve all of it at once or you will never get there.

Ah well probably teaching granny to suck eggs here and all IMHO of course.

Take care all

David D.
The Mediaeval Combat Society
http://www.montacute.net/mcs/index.htm
The Historical Reenactment Web Site
http://www.histrenact.co.uk



>
>
> >I quite dislike all things Microsoft. However there are one or two
>people using their products these days.
>
>I agree. Save their optical mice I've not found anything produced by
>them which hasn't been done better by someone else.
>
> >Agree. Macs are a problem. There is Office for Mac though. (However
>see point above... )
>
>I don't think Office for Mac has Access though?
>
> >Erm no. There are many ways to transfer data from Microsoft to Unix.
>At a push commer delimited would do it. >Directly via ODBC is not
>exactly new science.
> >>transfer your data to another database system, eg something to allow
> >more than one person to edit the data.
> >Erm no. Export/Import using one of the many ways available.
> >>transfer your data to someone running an older version of Office,
> >Erm not really. Only if you want to use wizz-bang additions of the new
>versions that are not backwards compatible.
>
>OK, maybe I should have replaced trivially for easily. Yes, of course
>can import/export data from/to Excel, but you can't export any of the
>rules that you have for your maintaining the integrity of the data
>without some serious legwork. In which case you might as well have done
>it right the first time.
>
> >Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Microsoft products are the best in
>any way, neither am I saying that the best >thing for a database is not
>a database system of some sort but saying that Access/Excel is leaving
>yourself not >able to port to any other platform or solution is not
>correct. People need to use what is available to them and their
> >capabilities this may not be the best solution.
>
>Sorry, my fault, I didn't explain myself clearly enough. I should have
>said that it is not as easy as just copying-and-pasting from one
>application to another. In any case people will always use whatever
>system they're happy with, be it Oracle, Access, Excel, a txt file, or a
>stack of cards in a box.
>
>A