I am selling turkeys(!). the turkeys will have various weights. Customers place their orders according to the weight they want. They may want a rough weight, say 14-16lbs. When the turkeys are ready I number them, so I can then allocate them to the right customer.
How do I set up a table with customer data, including their desires weights, and another table with the turkeys and their weights, and find a formula which will allocate the available turkeys to the customers?
At the moment I'm stuck where every customer who wants a particular weight has a return in the formula which gives the first number allocated to that weight. How can I factor in (if Turkeys 1-10 all weight 8lbs), that each customer who wants an 8lb turkey is allocated a different number for their turkey.
Sorry to talk turkey, but I'd appreciate any help. I've tried a few things! Thanks!
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Sounds a fascinating query (and a change from the usual stuff) - although I can't quite visualise the problem.
Would you not just list the customers in order of order placed, and then allocate the turkeys in order (assuming the correct size)?
Make a stack of customers and a stack of turkeys, sort it by weight (required vs bird weight) then walk both stacks in parallel assigning turkeys, use a different table for that. When customer requirement mismatch the turkey weight available, move to the next heavier turkey section of the stack. Not sure if the problem is a database problem or a programming problem.
Many, many thanks for your advice, both of you. I've followed it and my colleague is very happy with the result.
