[!--quoteo(post=346014:date=Feb 15 2006, 03:05 PM:name=obsidian)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(obsidian @ Feb 15 2006, 03:05 PM) [snapback]346014[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--] if you're always going to have it 3 levels deep, i'd simply recommend having 3 optimized tables that reference the category directly above. what you call them is entirely up to you, but i'd do something like this: [code] TABLE 1 - LEVEL 1 ================= id | Name --------------- 1 | Computers 2 | Games TABLE 2 - LEVEL 2 (references Table 1) ================= id | ref | Name --------------- 1 | 1 | Dell 2 | 1 | HP 3 | 2 | Shooter TABLE 3 - LEVEL 3 (references Table 2) ================= id | ref | Name | Desc ----------------------------- 1 | 1 | Dell 270 | p2,7 512 mb etc. 2 | 2 | HP120 | p3,7 1gig etc. 3 | 3 | COD2 | new game blah, blah, blah [/code] then, you could very easily refer all the way back up the chain at any given time. may not fit everything you have in mind, but with the examples you gave, it's one of the best ways i could think of off the top of my head. hope this helps [/quote] i think i get it, but why don't i make 1 table: [code] TABLE 1 id |ref|Name |Desc ----------------------------- 1 | Computer | Dell 270 | p2,7 512 mb etc. 2 | Computer | HP120 | p3,7 1gig etc. 3 | Games | COD2 | new game blah, blah, blah [/code]