An example. Every person has an address, right? Wrong! ... Do they each get a separate record in the "Addresses" table? Nope, they each get a link (thru a "join" table) to the SAME address record; a byproduct of such a link is that, in the record for each of them, you can call up a portal that shows everybody associated with that address.
I wouldn't be so hasty on that particular example. While the illustration of storing a record once is useful, I would expect that this particular database has to take into account some serious privacy policy, and the association of separate persons (esp. non-familial) via their address records would probably breach such guidelines. My major advice here is to make sure security levels and privileges are well thought through from the start.
-- Tim Mansour <[email protected]> Neologica Print & Promotions (ABN 63 904 335 408)
