Re: Complicated query

On 12/7/2014 12:05 PM, richard wrote:
> On Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:28:18 -0500, Shelly wrote:
>
>> I have finally come across a desired query that I have no idea on how to
>> do -- or if it is even possible. Here is the scenario:
>>
>> Table Instances
>> ===============
>> id
>> column1
>> column2
>> (and more)
>>
>> Table Questions
>> ===============
>> Id
>> Question Text
>>
>> Table Answers
>> =============
>> Id
>> QuestionId (Id in Questions)
>> InstanceId (Id in Instances)
>>
>> Table Questions has Q entries. (Lets say just three for now.) What I
>> want is to pull where each record contains:
>>
>> Table Instances has N entries.
>>
>> Table Answers has Q x N entries.
>>
>> I want to pull N records where each record has:
>> column1, column2, Answer1, Answer2, Answer3
>>
>> In other words, I want all the answers (Q of them) for a given instance
>> to be in a single returned record, not one answer in each of Q records
>> returned.
>
> I know this will piss off normalized Jerry Stuckle, but I'd just as soon
> use one table.
> Columns would be
> ID
> Question
> Achoice
> Bchoice
> Cchoice
> Dchoice
> Correct
>
> Now all you need to do is retrieve the row for each ID as needed.
> Display what you need to per ID.
> MYSQL can handle that with no problem.

Of course, and if *I* had designed the table structures, that is what I would have done as well. Sometimes, however, you step into an established situation and you just have to make the best of it. That was the case here.

Oh, and let PITAs roll off your back. It is healthier.

-- 
Shelly