simple db - how am I doing so far?

Hi, I'm designing a simple database to help out a co-worker. There
are some questions I think are worth asking this individual before I
go any further, but I'd like some feedback on the approach I've taken
so far. This database is intended to assist in managing massive
quantities of sheet music. Please don't laugh, I'm using MS Access.
It suits this purpose just fine

(if this is unclear you can view it on my blog
http://sscode.blogspot.com/2008/12/table-inventory-master-sid-title.html
)


table: INVENTORY (master)
sID TITLE ARRANGER PUBLISHER GENRE INSTRUMENTS
auto text long int long int long int long int


table: ARRANGER
aID arranger
auto text


table: PUBLISHER
pID publisher_name phone_number
auto text text


table: GENRES
gID genre
auto text


table: INSTRUMENTS
iID instrument
auto text

On Dec 14, 4:03 pm, wrote:
> Hi, I'm designing a simple database to help out a co-worker.  There
> are some questions I think are worth asking this individual before I
> go any further, but I'd like some feedback on the approach I've taken
> so far.   This database is intended to assist in managing massive
> quantities of sheet music.    Please don't laugh, I'm using MS Access..
> It suits this purpose just fine
>
> (if this is unclear you can view it on my bloghttp://sscode.blogspot.com/2008/12/table-inventory-master-sid-title.html
> )
>
> table: INVENTORY (master)
> sID     TITLE   ARRANGER        PUBLISHER       GENRE   INSTRUMENTS
> auto    text    long int        long int        long int        long int
>
> table: ARRANGER
> aID     arranger
> auto    text
>
> table: PUBLISHER
> pID     publisher_name  phone_number
> auto    text    text
>
> table: GENRES
> gID     genre
> auto    text
>
> table: INSTRUMENTS
> iID     instrument
> auto    text

This has little to do with theory, so you should have posted in
comp.databases.

With this design, do you intend to have a row in INSTRUMENTS for every
combination?
1 bells
2 flute
3 bells, flute
4 snare drum
5 bells, snare drum
6 flute, snare drum

You should pull instrument out of the inventory table and add a cross
reference like this:
INSTRUMENT_USED
sID iID
FK to FK to
INVENTORY INSTRUMENTS

Your need to learn about Normalizing your data model. Look up database
normalization.
HTH,
Ed