MySQL table with multiple values in one field [duplicate]

Answer 1

You should create extra table for it....

For example...

Consider the scenario that 1 item may have many categories and 1 category may have many items...

Then you can create table like this...

Create three tables for that....

(1) tblItem :

  fields:
            itemId  (PK)
            itemName
            etc..

(2) tblCategory :

  fields:
            categoryId  (PK)
            categoryName
            etc..

(3) tblItemCategory :

  fields:
            itemId  (PK/FK)
            categoryId  (PK/FK)

So according to your data you can create an extra table for it....
I think it would be optimize way....

Answer 2

If you want your data to be in third normal form, then you should think in terms of adding extra tables, rather than encoding multiple values into various fields. However it depends how far your brief goes.

Answer 3

In a relational database you should never, EVER, put more than one value in a single field - this violates first normal form.

With the sections like Kitchen Appliances, Property Usage etc... where the sales people can check multiple values for that field, it depends on whether it will always be the same set of multiple options that can be specified:

• If there are always the same set of multiple options, you could include a boolean column on the property table for each of the options.
• If there are likely to be a variety of different options applicable to different properties, it makes more sense to set up a separate table to hold the available options, and a link table to hold which options apply to which properties.

The first approach is simpler and can be expected to perform faster, while the latter approach is more flexible.

A similar consideration applies to the people associated with each house; however, given that a single property can have (for example) more than one owner, the second approach seems like the only one viable. I therefore suggest separate tables to hold people details (name, phone number, etc) and people roles (such as owner, seller, etc.) and a link table to link roles to properties and people.