# MS Access question:  Finding the minimum value in multiple fields

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-access-question-finding-the-minimum-value-in-multiple-fields/285535>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 19, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-access-question-finding-the-minimum-value-in-multiple-fields/285535 "2005-01-19T14:14:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-access-question-finding-the-minimum-value-in-multiple-fields/285535/41 "2016-03-04T17:07:28Z")

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Hi there **witchchild**.

This question was asked and answered 11 years ago. Thanks for your contribution, but I doubt it’ll be of much use.

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**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-access-question-finding-the-minimum-value-in-multiple-fields/285535/42 "2016-03-04T18:01:25Z")

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It is good to have a reminder every decade or so that bad table design can cause major headaches in queries and application design 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-access-question-finding-the-minimum-value-in-multiple-fields/285535/43 "2016-03-05T01:25:09Z")

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OTOH, there are some surprisingly simple algorithmic ideas that are stupid-hard to express in standard SQL & normalized database design. It is \*A \*rigorous approach to data organization & storage, not \*THE \*rigorous approach to data organization and storage.

It’s also obvious that there ought to be a licensing process before people are allowed to actually touch a live database or post advice. Some decent posts here. And some abject shite.

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