I’m just starting out as a DT user and I’m wondering about some basic database design issues:
Would it be convenient with just one “includes all” database, and then organise stuff in various groups, or should I start out with multiple databases and use groups in each base? Any opinions?
I will use DT as a repository of all my files, both work and personal, and on the work side I will use it mainly for academic research. I use Sente as my reference manager/PDF repository for scientific articles, and will use DT to index those specific files, but all other research files (including web stuff) will go into DT.
I also wonder how you integrate DA and DT in an efficient manner?
I think you will find many advocates on both sides of that question. I use multiple databases, e.g., one general, several specific to book writing projects, one specific to writing records, etc. With 2.0, it’s very convenient. Others are proponents of the one database for everything. Some don’t use a deep file structure, others use a very deep file (or group in DTPO parlance) structure.
Personally, I’ve found the postings of Bill_Deville to be valuable in this regards, as well as parezcoydigo’s posts re DPTO in academic research interesting.
My original comment above was meant to suggest an adjunct to what DevonTech has done to provide sample databases and other really helpful tools for learning DTPO. The DT samples have been good but I really like having a manual spread out between me and the screen with step-by-step instructions that I could follow.
I agree entirely with what you say, a book for me is much more user-friendly and I really do hope that one will be produced. I wonder if there is anyone out there with the requisite knowledge and skill to produce one, I do hope so.
I think DT is flexible and “database design” not as much an issue as with other “real” database applications.
I am a new user (from Norway), so any futher discussion of such matter would be interesting for me as well.
If you work with several projects, you maybe have the same sub-structure for those, but that probably would work both, within folders and databases and it should be possible to tranfer the info eiher to another databse or folder level, respectively or delete it/keep it out of the way when no longer needed…
If the stuff that also sits in Sente is indexed within DT, moving that stuff around within DT should not matter(?)
BTW: I have the impression that concordance only works for databases not sub-folders, is this true?