Entering Data in the Associative Entity Table of a M:M or Ternary Relationship

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Entering Data in the Associative Entity Table of
a MM or Ternary Relationship

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• This presentation was prepared by Professor Steve
  Ross, with the advice of other MIS Faculty, for
  use in MIS Classes at Western Washington
  University. Please contact Dr. Ross for
  permission to use in other settings..

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The Challenge

• Create a form for the entry of worker
  assignments, to include the foreign keys for
  WorkerID and BuildingID
• Information about both buildings and workers must
  be entered prior to use of this form

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Step 1 Source Data

• Create a view containing the data for the form
• Normally, the view is based on a single table
• vueFrmAssignment contains all fields of
  tblAssignment
• Determine field and control characteristics

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Step 2 Layout

• Create a draft view of the form, giving
  approximate placement and type of controls for
  each data item

I usually do this by hand, not in a graphic
program such as this
Standard Form Heading
Person Building Start Date
Person list combo box
Building list combo box
StartDate
These will be combo boxes, bound to the relevant
fields but displaying data from the related tables
These will be a text box bound to the relevant
field
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Step 3 Create Version 1

• Use the view created in Step 1 as the record
  source for the form
• Depending on your production environment
• Use application generator to create form
• Create form from a design master
• Add all desired fields to the form

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Step 4 Fine Tuning

• Convert text boxes to combo boxes or other
  controls as necessary.
• Apply check constraints and other properties to
  controls.
• Once controls are set, apply other design
  standards.

See this presentation for discussion of
technique. The form illustrated met MIS 421
design standards when it was created. Subsequent
changes to the standards may have occurred.
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Step 5 Quality Assurance

• Can the user change data in an existing record?
• Can the user enter new records?
• Are all constraints working properly? (Test the
  limits.)
• Have all Design Standards been met?