🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello I am new to database design and theory and to the
internet news system. If any followup could be emailed as
well to pdilley@geocities.com it would be greatly appreciated.

I have a multiple table database application I am designing.
I have created every table except for one area/concept that
will require multiple tables. I am trying my best to follow
normalization techniques.

I need to track Instructors.
More specifically I need to track per instructor what classes they
can teach.

I thought maybe creating a seperate table with all the possible
combinations of classes and one key field with an autogenerated
number to use for linking purposes. Unfortunately I thought about
it and if there were 24 classes then that would be two raised to
the 24 combinations. I don't feel like typing out millions of
combinations by hand. I want to use simple Yes/No fields on a
data entry form that an operator/user can simply checkmark
class IDNumbers to indicate what an Instructor can teach.

The problem:

Many different classes identified by a class idnumber.
Classes are "retired" on a constant basis around 6 months to
a year and a half.
New classes are added to fill in the "retired" classes.

Somehow I need to link into a record for an Instructor a field with
a unique ID that points to another table. One that would contain
the combination of classes for that instructor. Some instructors
may be able to teach one of the total number of classes, others
will be able to teach possibly 16 different classes.

I've hit my head against a wall on this issue. The other 9 database
tables just flowed like water out of my head with ease. I have been
at this for a week and an unable to come up with a solution as of
yet.

Someone please help point me in the right direction.

Peter Dilley
pdilley@geocities.com