I am building a pdoxwin 5 application for a manufacturer that requires
each part to use components, and each component to use sub-component.  I
am currently maintaining multiple tables along the lines of:

Master Part (keyed on MasterID)
Master Details (keyed on MasterID + SubID)
Sub Details (keyed on MasterID + SubID + SubSubID)

Each component is an inventory item taken from an inventory table.

Where I'm having massive problems is in the management.  The master part
must have costs built from all components, but quotes and invoices can't
show the cost and component breakdown.  this means lots of complex
queries and calulations and complex forms for showing detail tables and
detail-detail tables, and lots of long OPAL methods for correctly
updating, deleting, duplicating etc. on the multiple tables.

The Question:  Am I just getting what I deserve, and this is why
manufacturing software is so expensive?  or is there something i'm
missing in the use of the 3 tables described above, since this model
limits me to 3 levels of assembly.

thanks

dan zucker
Parallax Computer Services