Re: search comma separated db column
Well.. if you say so..
I just hope the guy that asked the question didn't go to his boss and proclaimed that new expensive CRM has to be thrown out or rebuilt because the database was poorly designed.
Just so you don't forget. I agree with you that it is bad practice, in general, to store multiple values in the same field. But it is oh so common in the real world.
What we do disagree upon, apart from how to answer questions, is less important and more in the abstract.
I mean that:
'65,65,65' has the same type as 'sixtyfive,sixtyfive,sixtyfive' and 'A small horse'.
They are all strings. The first one is NOT a list of integers. That is you interpreting data. Believe me there are other valid ways to do that. And I do believe that strings are allowed under the rules of database design, without reservations regarding format, language, charset, linguistic meaning aso.
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I'm sorry about this mudflinging. I sort of like to disagree with people, especially when they seem to know what they are talking about :-) I like arguing.
I hope you are not offended that our oppinions differ.
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/Jesper
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2008 03:19PM by Jesper Öhnstedt.