Final answer:
The provided question relates to guidelines for table design, and option (c) 'avoid date arithmetic' is not a standard guideline. Date arithmetic is often an essential part of data analysis and therefore is regularly used in table operations to perform temporal calculations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which of the provided options is not a suggested guideline for table design. When designing tables in databases or spreadsheet applications, it is indeed crucial to include all necessary data (a), store data in their smallest parts (b), and link tables using common fields (d) to maintain data integrity and support efficient querying. However, option (c) 'avoid date arithmetic' is not a standard guideline. In fact, date arithmetic is often necessary for performing temporal calculations and data analysis, such as calculating the age of an entity in a database or the time difference between two events.
Remembering these guidelines is critical for effective table design as they ensure that data is usable, analyses are accurate, and overall systemic functionality is maintained. These principles are key when managing and designing database systems or any structured data storage method.