Re: 2 people with same address - sometimes - standard data model?

In <l.carl.pedersen-1101951942230001_at_kip-2-sn-53.dartmouth.edu>, l.carl.pedersen_at_dartmouth.edu (L Carl Pedersen) writes:

>for many reasons, it pains me to store *two* addresses when the addresses
>for two people are often the same.

 [Some deleted]
>it seems to me this must be a very common data design problem - especially
>in the university environment.
>
>how do you solve this problem? is there a "standard" method?

We actually use an 'address database' as address is a very important entity in our business (local government). Most of our systems point to this table for addresses, and not storing them in their own tables. So, when you have your student living with both parents at the same address, you will get at least three records reusing the same data ! If the parents happen to be one of the staff..., and the student may find part time job with the Unv... Or one of the parents actually sells stuff to the institution, or purchases stuff (like taking a night course) from the university, you will have much higher reuse rate. Now, the real pay off comes when they move, you know, or the street name just got changed...

I think you've got the right idea. We used it and it works great.

Now, if you can get the accounts payable and receivable people to use the same 'people' file you've got, you will be in heaven.

Kwok L. Fung (kfung_at_gov.calgary.ab.ca)

              (kfung_at_kfung.dpsd.gov.calgary.ab.ca) Received on Fri Jan 13 1995 - 19:49:34 CET