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Applying relational theory to paper filing systems

From: Dawn M. Wolthuis <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 08:51:42 -0500
Message-ID: <c6ocu9$gv0$1_at_news.netins.net> 





I was just at the dentist office and saw again those rows of color-coded
paper files.  I wondered what "best practices" or even possibly "theory"
might be used these days to design such a system.



I know I have used data normalization techniques when designing paper-based
forms before -- particularly 2nd & 3rd NF.  Obviously one would not want to
apply all relational theory to paper files due to the inability to handily
join tables that are paper-based.  You would also not want to use 1NF, most
likely.



Figuring out what from data modeling and database modeling techniques and
what from relational theory would be applicable to paper-based filing
systems might shed some light on what from relational theory is useful to
non-RDBMS systems (and, therefore, to database systems in general).



Is anyone familiar with any paper-based filing "theory" that is out there?
What would be useful from relational theory to teach to people who are
setting up paper-based "databases".



Thanks.  --dawn
Received on Wed Apr 28 2004 - 15:51:42 CEST












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