Thoughts on manual database design?

[steven at malikoff.com]

Instead of cooking up another completely custom inventory management schema, you might consider adhering to Dublin Core for some more modern
schema conventions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Core

For the dbms engine I would use MariaDB over MySql (but with some of the MySQL tool chain) as I prefer code to remain outside the clutches of Oracle:
https://mariadb.org
It's a drop-in replacement, runs nicely and the HeidiSQL management client is very useable.

Also, why are you restricting your field lengths so much? This is the 21st century, you can afford to be a bit more generous on those VARCHARs :)
Final thing, are you going for a completely normalised database? (ok, I haven't analysed your schema to any great extent)

Steve.


---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Thoughts on manual database design?
From:    "Jay Jaeger" <cube1 at charter.net>
Date:    Wed, September 23, 2015 12:00 pm
To:      cctalk at classiccmp.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

> So, I am looking to convert my old Access database I have used for many
> years to a MySQL database, with the expectation that I will eventually
> publish it on a web page for public lookup.
>
> Below is my first cut at a database design for it.  I'd be happy for
> comments and suggestions, to the list or directly.  Note, however, that
> I don't expect to do this to the same level of complexity and
> completeness that one might if they were the library of congress, a
> major university library, etc.  So, some suggestions to generalize may
> be quietly ignored, even if they would in principle, be the "right
> thing" according to some criteria or other.
>
> This would be used for manuals, per se, print sets, etc.  Quite possibly
> for books as well.
>
> What follows amounts to a data dictionary:
>
> Table MANUAL:
>
>   This is the primary table of manuals.  Many of the fields will be
>   available for string and/or pull down search, as appropriate.
>
> Machine_MFG:  VARCHAR(32)
>   The manufacturer of the machine(s) to which the manual applies
>   Part of unique key.
>   Pull down search.
>
> Manual_Number: VARCHAR(40)
>   The manual number, including version strings, etc.
>   In some cases, this may be an SBN or ISBN.
>   Part of unique key
>   String search.
>
> Artifact_ID: CHAR(16) [format/type still under consideration]
>   The local identifier for the manual/artifact.
>   Part of unique key.
>   Will be generated if none is entered during creation/update.
>   (Required because I may have more than one copy of a given manual).
>
> Publisher: VARCHAR(32)
>   The publisher of the manual.  (Typically will be the same as the
>   Machine MFG - but not necessarily always)
>   May not be NULL.
>
> Type: VARCHAR(16)
>   Manual, Drawing (== printset, schematic, etc.), Book, ...
>   Pull down search.
>
> Original: BOOLEAN
>   True if an original manual.  False if a copy ("Xerox").
>
> Missing: BOOLEAN
>   True if the manual is missing (i.e., is not where it is supposed to
> be, and the actual location is not known).
>
> Title: VARCHAR(255)
>   The title of the manual, including any subtitles.
>   Suggest "; " to separate multiple titles/subtitles
>   May not be NULL
>   String search.
>
> Incomplete: CHAR(1)
>   Indicates if the manual is not a complete copy.
>   NULL indicates the copy is complete.
>
> Year: DATE
>   The year the manual was published / printed / copyrighted.
>   May be NULL, signifying the date is unknown / not entered.
>
> Location: VARCHAR(20)
>   The general location of the manual in my inventory
>   May be NULL, signifying the manual is not in my inventory.
>
> Cabinet: CHAR(2)
>   The ID of the cabinet or box in which the manual is stored, if any.
>   May be NULL, even if the manual is in my inventory.
>   May not be NULL if Drawer is not NULL.
>
> Drawer: CHAR(2)
>   The ID of the drawer of the cabinet in which the manual is stored,
>   if any.  May be NULL.
>
> Inventory_Date:  DATE
>   The date that the manual was last inventoried.
>
> Filename: VARCHAR(255)
>   The name of the file which is an image of the manual in my local
>   file storage.
>
> OnlineLocation: VARCHAR(255)
>   URL of the manual located online (e.g., the bitsavers URL)
>   May be NULL.  This does NOT mean that the manual is not online.
>   Of course, this field can become out of date.
>
> OnlineVersion: CHAR(1)
>   = means that the online manual is the same version as this one
>   > means that there is no equal version online, but there is a
>     later version
>   < means there is no equal or later version online, but there is an
>     earlier version.
>
> OnlineMD5: CHAR(32)
>   MD5 hash of online manual - used to check for moved manuals.  ;)
>
>
> TABLE MachineManual
>
> This table cross references manuals to the machine(s) to which they
> apply.  This list will NOT be guaranteed to be complete.  During inquiry
> and update, this will be a list of machines with a separator character
> in between which will not be allowed in Machine_MFG.  During an update,
> the entire list will be replaced with the first one being flagged as the
> primary machine.
>
> MachineMFG:  (See above).  Part of the unique key for this table.
> Manual_Number: (See above)  Part of the unique key for this table.
> Machine:  VARCHAR(16)
>    One of the machine(s) to which this manual applies.
>    Part of the unique key for this table.
> Primary_Machine: BOOLEAN
>    When true, indicates that this machine should be listed first
>    in the list of applicable machines.  For a peripheral, this will
>    typically be the machine for which the peripheral was originally
>    designed.
>
> So a list of machines for an RX01 manual might be:
>    PDP-11, RX01, RX01, VAX-11
>
>
> TABLE Machines
>
> A lookup table of valid machines.  Only column is Machine (See above).
> Naturally this table will change over time - I anticipate that an update
> where the updater (me) keys in an "invalid" one will be greeted with
> some kind of confirmation panel.
>
>
> TABLE Manufacturers
>
> A lookup table of valid manufacturers.  Only column is Machine_MFG
> (See above).  Naturally this table will change over time - I anticipate
> that an update where the updater (me) keys in an "invalid" one will be
> greeted with some kind of confirmation panel.
>
>
> Table Types
>
> A lookup table of valid Types. Only column is Type (See above)
>
> TABLE:  LastGeneratedArtifact
>
> The last generated artifact ID - used to assign new artifact numbers
> when one is not manually entered.  Algorithm TBD.  One column:
> Artifact_ID (See above)
>
>
> TABLE: Locations
>
> A table of valid locations (e.g. Basement, Garage, STORAGE, Unknown, etc.)
> Used for convenience during data entry.
>
>
> (Once this one is done and running (at least locally), the next one is
> probably media (tapes, floppies, etc.) which is not too bad, and then
> machines, cards and parts, which is more complicated for lots of reasons).
>
> After those are done (hopefully by the end of the year - I am retired
> and this will be my primary focus for a while) comes the design for a
> database for SMS cards and for the IBM 1410 use of SMS cards.
>
>
> JRJ
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