Re: Help on Data Integrity Constraints

Comments in-line.

Frank van Bortel wrote:

>>This is the infamous "One True Lookup Table" (OTLT), which is a common
>>lousy approach to database design along with its friend the
>>Entity-Attribute-Value table (EAV):
>>
>>http://tonyandrews.blogspot.com/2004/10/otlt-and-eav-two-big-design-mistakes.html
>>

I disagree. This approach was, is, and always will be bad design. If for no other reason than that it is impossible to implement a referential constraint.

> Heck, it's even standard Designer code, specifically
> for Domain values. I know Oracle has some daft defaults
> (EXP compress=y), but nobody ever questioned this approach.

Designer could use some serious redesign. I am amazed that someone inside Oracle hasn't taken the Designer team, and the Reports team, especially the Reports team, and driven them down to Apple in Cupertino for a lesson in user interface and usability.

> In general, yes lookup tables should be implemented as such,
> but having a 'gender' table, with only 2, possibly 5 values
> ever, is too much.
> Do not call it sex... those crazy Americans might be offended.

Offended? Of course not. We enjoy it as long as it presented in a truly juvenile manner on television. Why do you think this country was built on immigration? The pilgrim's never actually did it themselves: That would have been dirty. ;-)

-- 
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)