Some advice for my database please

[bobban]

Hello

I am trying to make my first database (I have done the tutorial from GettingStartedWithBase.pdf) and would like some help please in terms of general design and whether this is a feasible idea. A little about me: database newbie, average programmer with modest Base experience but keen to learn more about OO.

So this database is for a small real estate business, but is only used to store information about people NOT in the property management database. The property management database is used to store information about tenants, properties and owners. The database I want to create holds information about various types of people who don't fit into the property management database such as these types: employees, contractors, prospective tenants, prospective owners etc. OK, so essentially each record will be a 'Contact' which has personal details and a 'Type'. This much I can do, but the trick is that depending on the 'Type' I would like to have available a few more fields to enter 'Type' specific details - ie. for a 'prospective owner' type I might want fields like 'number of bed rooms', 'car spaces' etc.

So, in my visualization of this I see a general 'Contact' form with a 'Type' drop down box at the bottom. Once the 'Type' is selected the additional 'Type' fields are then displayed. So I should be able to filter on 'Type' and get specific information. I will need various form fields (subforms?) to appear/hide based on the 'Type'. Does this approach sound reasonable and simple enough for someone at my level to implement? Is OO able to support this functionality?

I imagine that this will require ONE table ('Contacts') which has: personal details fields, a 'Type' field and all the fields specific to each 'Type'. Sounds to me like there is wastage here but the benefit is simplicity. Should I rethink this?

Thanks for reading and being kind enough to offer your assistance.
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