When I first thought about re-doing CoasterBuzz, and tried to hack out some code (this was two years ago), I wanted to make it so that the coaster database had one record for one coaster, and then a table indicating its various names and locations. That's easy enough. Then I started screwing around with track records.
The pain came when I didn't have any specific rules in mind as to how to assemble a track record. For example, I think it's OK to add the same ride to your track record twice when it has been moved to another park. Think X-Flight/Firehawk. But it's be silly to credit yourself with Top Gun and Flight Deck. The data, as it stood, made no distinction between the two situations.
List of coasters for parks were easy enough. Just query the data and only pick the newest name for a coaster. For track records, I had the "duh" moment when I realized I should just use the coaster and park ID's as combined keys for the track record. That way, if a new name comes along, nothing changes.
These are the kinds of things that aren't really that hard to figure out, but if you spend too much time staring at them, the obvious becomes obscured. Life can kinda be like that.
Or you could save yourself the trouble and lead the charge against the ridiculous notion of a "track record" and skip the whole thing! Those who find value in that sort of nonsense can keep track of it themselves with a piece of a paper and pencil (remember those).
Personally, I'd like to see a database of french fry stands. What's your fry record?
Explain...
Yes, I realize that not everybody is as cranky as I am about "track records" but even if somebody did want to keep a list, isn't it about a million times easier to write it on a piece of paper than to deal with computers and websites? Unless, of course, you want to display it to others to prove your manhood or something.