Reusing columns for different items

[floridaflatlander]

I have a mysql table of items and was wondering if it would be to confusing to combine the columns used for the different “non-repeating info” that items had.

 

Instead of having columns for the number of bathrooms, boat length, rv length and camper length have one column called something like num1.

 

I've always heard that you should name columns in a way that associates with the column info, but if I combine columns I just have to add 18 columns, if I don't combine them I have to add 50 plus columns.

 

Or .. even though the data is non repeating go ahead and make tables for the info for realestate, boats, autos, rv's and on and on.

 

Just looking for some ideas

Thanks

[Barand]

you may want to look at a structure like this one by Jessica

 

http://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/274976-best-way-to-deal-with-item-with-different-sizes-available/?do=findComment&comment=1415128

[davidannis]

It seems to me you could keep it in a single table with fewer columns if you think of your data a bit differently. Example:

 

Column       Object Type     Number of Baths     Length

Records

                      Car                    0                             9

                      RV                      1                             30

                      Boat                    2                          120

 

No reason to think of car length, boat length, and rv length as different types of data unless I misunderstand.

[Christian F.]

Baths, in a car? That makes no sense.

Also, what if you wanted to add the mast height of sailboats, or the tire dimensions for the cars? You'd end up with an unholy mess of fields, most of which makes no sense to have in any one of the rows.

 

No, do what Barand and Jessica suggested, and use a proper database design for this.

[davidannis]

Of course, Christian is right - mast height or number of wheels doesn't fit into a single table. I wasn't thinking clearly there. However, I still thinnk that car length, boat length, and vehicle length shoudl be generalized to vehicle lenght.

 

Appologies for the poorly thought out post.