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Multiple relational tables vs. one giant table

Topic Labels: Base design
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Kathy_Barton
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Apologies for the n00b question but I just started working with AT yesterday and I’m up against a deadline. I’m wondering about best practices for base design for the case of related tables in a base. I am converting a massive Excel spreadsheet that currently has over 80 columns in a single sheet. My initial thought was to break that into 3 separate tables where I use the same unique ID in each to relate the records to each other. My end goal is to have an interface for reviewers where I can show all of the relevant fields for the related records in each table.
I have successfully imported the excel data into a base but I got stuck designing my interface because I can’t find a way to use the Record Picker to select the unique ID once and have that atomically pick the related records from the other tables.
So all of that made me wonder if it makes more sense for me to just create one table with all 80+ rows in it and then make views to simplify using the Grid. That makes me sad because I’m losing all of the potential benefits of a relational database. Am I over complicating things?
TIA!
-Kathy

1 Reply 1

This is the approach to take.