Re: Database Conceptual & Logical Design
Malcolm,
Sorry, that's unreadable. Google BBCode to see how to tag stuff like that as code in fora like this.
I'd start with a use case analysis (http://www.artfulsoftware.com/mysqlbook/sampler/mysqled1ch05.pdf). The first pass would start like this ...
identify users (primary actors): administrator, manager, data clerks, parking attendants, perhaps parkers (if there is to be an ATM-like parker interface to the system)
identify secondary actors eg vehicles, their owners &c
identify tasks: add/edit parking events, parking rates, vehicle registry, add/edit/issue invoices, track payments including fines, &c
use cases:
determine 1st hour of a parking event
ditto for last hour
identify & record car owner and owner type (ordinary, govt, diplomatic)
insert/edit parking rates for ord/giovt/diplos
issue parking invoice
insert/edit vehicle
insert/edit owner
insert/edit parking "tickets"
buy parking tickets
etc
... after which ...
I build a list of entities & their attributes
I turn them into tables
I write queries for the use cases to see if the system has the info needed, looping back to the top as required to fill the gaps.
Many use case/conceptual design methods have been published. If you find ours too sketchy or otherwise unsatisfactory, Google the topic till you find a model you like.
PB