[SOLVED] the posibility of multiple variables or not... ex. Recipe database.

[jimdidr]

How would i go about adding the possibility of haveing 40 recipe ingredients in a database... I just want to make a simple Database where people can just write in recipes for Whatever they feel like. and i'm stuck on the point of how to having upto 40 variables added the easyest, (i want to be able to index the recipes by ingrediense and also search thru them, so I'm guessing 1 blob of ingredience are out.

 

Any ideas?

[jimdidr]

What i mean is. Is there a better way to do this then to just add 40 fields and call them ingredient 1-40 (and then add 40 others that say the amount, and 40 more that say what type of amount (Liters, DLs, gallons and so on)

 

 

 

[xtopolis]

You need to read up a bit about database normalization.  It will seriously benefit you in the long run.

Google 'database normalization'

But to answer your question, you should have separate the tables, rather than add columns

 

But even simpler if you "just want to have a place where people can write recipes"... then just make it store a text area... and allow them to edit it?

 

 

You can provide all the recipe info in a textarea

<textarea rows="20" cols="30" name="recipe">
Pancakes

Prep: Turn on stove to high.

Directions:
1) Add 1 cup instant pancake mix to a bowl.
2) Add 3/4 cup water to bowl
3) Mix water and pancakes, leave slightly chunky.(Do not over mix)
</textarea>

.. etc

 

 

That is an alternative, otherwise if you want to do it the complex but 'right' way... You'll need a fair bit of tables, in order to follow normalization standards.  Tables for each: ingredients, measurements, recipe difficulty, submitter, etc etc... depending on how complex you need it.  [not to mention lookup tables!]

[jimdidr]

Thank you, that answerd my question. I was just hoping there was a simpler way of doing it the complex (and right) way.