If at all possible, you should normalise information in your database using Codd's principles of database normalisation. Basically, this means that you don't duplicate information, store information that can be recalculated based on other fields, or store more than one piece of information in a single cell of your table.

This is all well and good until you want to store (for example) information about a person with a list of his children; the solution is to use two tables, with one table being joined to the other when you select your data out of the database.

That's what we call a "one to many" mapping, and the situation becomes slightly more complex when it goes a stage further and we have a "many to many" mapping. In such a situation, the best solution is usually to provide a third table known as a pivot table.

The subject came up during yesterday's MySQL Course and I wrote an example that I've posted to the solutions centre here on this site. The example will appear on appropriate future courses, and the data is available for viewing on the module description page.

(written 2004-09-22 06:38:55)

 S154 - MySQL - Designing an SQL Database System

Back to Call Centres, selling, and a pause for thought

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Birth Notice

Almost like old times
Technical Open House
Python is a fabulous language
Birth Notice
MySQL - Pivot tables
Call Centres, selling, and a pause for thought
Posting 1000 letters!
Dress Code
Evening classes to learn PHP
PHP and natural sorting
Link to page ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 at 50 posts per page


This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

Link to Ezine home page (for reading).
Link to Blogging home page (to add comments).