When is a table too big?

[LanceT]

Are there any benchmarks for telling when a table is too big? Any number of rows? Size?

 

I'm wondering if maybe it'd be better for me to divide my current table up into separate tables. Do you think this will help the speed of my program?

 

Thanks.

[fenway]

I would argue that the number of columns is more telling....

[PC Nerd]

im having sort of the same problem, but its not as to whether the table is too big, its that i cant store the data, in a managable way. 

 

im making a webgame, (nothing to do with the competition) but i wanted to be able to name units.  but becauase you can have an un limited amount of units..... it means that you can really store all of the names in the one table, but niether can you store it in another table elsewhere, becauase you still have to be able to index it, and theoretically you could have thousands of units... therefore meaning youd have to have thousands of fields.......

 

 

the only way i could think of is having the names stoored in a text field, but then youd have the problem of linking names to stats, and youd have to use php to slice the string, and thats not managable becauase you would have a massive string, thats not managable in itself. 

 

 

does anyone have any suggestion on how to fix this problem, or an article to read to point me in the right direction.

 

also in reply to the original question..... only when data can be catagorised, or grouped inot more ways that it is currently, is your table to big..... ei, my database would have a table for names, emails password etc, than other table for different sections of the game, like messages, groups etc.....

 

 

 

thanks

[artacus]

Are there any benchmarks for telling when a table is too big?

 

If you have to scream "Pass the potatoes!!!" Your table is too big. If you cant crawl into your chair because it is constricted between the table and the wall, your table is too big.

 

I think you both would do well to read a book on database design and normalization. Database Design for Mere Mortals, is a pretty good one to start with. Databases can scale to enormous proportions, but you've got to be really smart about how they are laid out, joined and indexed.