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Creating a Field List
Once you have a collection of raw paper data and the input from anyone contributing information or requests you can implement, it's time to determine which major information topics you need to include in the database. In some cases, you'll already know how this information should be organized because you're copying an existing format. If so, you can skip directly to your data structure strategy. Otherwise, you need to list every data topic that might be important.This sounds like a tall order, and indeed it is. Breaking down the data into its smallest parts is one of the hardest and most critical aspects of creating a good database. All too many files are flawed by a developer's tendency to lose patience or run out of time before breaking out the data sufficiently.For example, one of the classic database errors is to create a field called Name, and to enter the person's entire name into it instead of breaking the information down into two or three fields (Last Name and First Name/MI or Last Name, First Name, and a separate Middle Initial field). It doesn't take too long before this error comes back to haunt you, because it prevents you from searching and sorting on the last name and denies you all sorts of elegant FileMaker tools for creating form letters. Fixing this error requires a rather complex script (see Chapter 14, "Data Importing and Repairing") and some additional tweaking to clean it up.
Looking at a field list
Although every field list is different, what they all share if done properly is that they are longer than you think they will be when you start the process. To prevent the data from overwhelming the database, you'll want to examine the field list for duplications and missing categories. A good field list is lean but complete. If you create a clear, well-structured core, you and the database users will find it easier to use and develop later.In our college database example, a quick listing of important information would look like this.
