[Zope] Strategy for 100 SQL tables

[Alan Snyder]

Hi everyone - I have a general question about the best strategy to use
for an application in Zope that will have about 100 SQL tables storing
a bunch of different data and types, and attachments (document, etc).
I still am not 100% clear about the difference between content types,
archetypes, and the rest of the types of stuff that can be done with
zope. What does everyone suggest for a situation like mine with the
following requirements...

-- Each table stores unique data and should have the ability to
present a 'default' add/edit/remove page with the ability to customize
or over-ride the defaults.
-- Each table can potentially participate in workflow, each in its own
separate process
-- The schemas of the tables will need to be changed at installation
time (although changing things in house and sending updates and
scripts is fine), but changes should be easy to do and be as
automatically as possible picked up on the html/dtml forms that are
used to modify the data.

So far, I've learned a little about archetypes which match these
requirements pretty closely, but I only see how to use them in plone,
not zope by itself. Any thoughts?

TIA
Alan