Database outline info needed

[phppup]

I have been out of the loop for a few years and I am creating a database for a business.  It will hold customer personal info (name, address etc) as well as a sales history.

I am looking for some initial guidance, best practices, and tutorials to avoid major pitfalls and silly mistakes.

Thanks.

[benanamen]

Make sure you use PDO.

https://phpdelusions.net/pdo

[gizmola]

Database design is both an art and a science. Just as there are design patterns used in object oriented software development, there are design patterns for relational database design.

 

When dealing with people and organizations, the "Party" pattern is one that provides a very robust approach to dealing with persons and organizations. I have been designing databases for a very long time, but I frequently find myself using some variation on the party pattern.

[benanamen]

I agree with @gizmola. There are Software Engineers, but you could also be a Database Engineer. If you want to jump to the top then learn all about the Party Model. I designed DBs for many years also. Once I discovered and learned the Party Model it changed everything and bumped my DB design skills many levels beyond where I was before that. If you want to develop scale-able Enterprise level applications you will need to know it well.