I have a large Acces based system that includes a mini report writer.
In it, the user selects a "Data source" which is a pre-established query
that has a view of the database, appropriate for certain types of reporting.

This system has clients, pledges, payments, multiple address records, etc.

I am trying to explain to them why they cannot just have "the entire
database" as a data source and then be able to get any piece of data in
the system.

So I am trying to explain the essence of relational databases to people
without any relational database training. Mostly I am trying to explain
what the data sources (queries) I have established so far are each good for.

Anyone have any written material or can point me to some written
material I could use with them? surely someone has had to do this
before. I hate reinventing the wheel. Besides it is hard to know what
I just take for granted.

Thanks

bob

On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:55:15 -0500, Bob Alston <bobalston9 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>
wrote:

I don't have such a manual but if I was in your position I would not
try to explain relational concepts to the users. Rather I would
present my datasources (not even call them queries) as a category of
data to select when trying to achieve some goal.
Example: send out a mailmerge letter to prospects: Choose the
Prospects data source.
Write a report with annual contributions per member: Choose the
PaymentsPerClient data source.
I would list the data sources, with a description of what the data is
about and what goal(s) it will help achieve.
Ideally the user would be able to preview the data (maybe top 50
records) to see if it matches her expectations.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP