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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-17T00:25:46+00:00

I’m building a client and case database in Access 2003. The parent client table

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I’m building a client and case database in Access 2003. The parent client table has fields for the clients’ names, company (if any), status (value list) an additional note (text or memo type), and a Y/N toggle box for our mailing list. The PK is in incrementing AutoNumber. Following a normalization tip from a thread elsewhere, addresses and phone numbers will get their own tables, like so:

tbl_Client

 tbl_Address
    tbl_AddressType
 tbl_Phone
    tbl_PhoneType

(tbl_Client will link to tbl_Address and tbl_Phone via junction tables, but I don’t know how to represent that.)

My research suggests that tables should have at least two indexed, non-duplicated columns — one PK, and one additional unique field. The only other guaranteed unique column in tbl_Client is the memo field — last names may reappear and we may have more than one client at a given company.

So here’s my question: Is it better to index the Note field, disallowing duplicates, or to just accept that the ClientID AutoNumber will be the only unique value?

(Of course, this question is predicated on the assumption that the entire above structure is not irredeemably flawed. If that’s the case, please feel free to express your horror.)

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  1. Editorial Team

    My research suggests that tables should have at least two indexed, non-duplicated columns — one PK, and one additional unique field.

    Your PK should uniquely identify each row. I don’t understand the requirement for a second unique field.

    *The only other guaranteed unique column in tbl_Client is the memo field — last names may reappear and we may have more than one client at a given company.*

    Don’t index a memo field just so you can have a second unique field.

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