Re: Data storage question

Absolutely i agree with you! More parameters might be required in future. But what is the solution?. How would you cater for the increasing columns? Do you suggest a relationalized hierarchical structure? But this way, number of records will be enormous! Joins on huge tables will worsen the performance.

In article <7prv0f$iqq$1_at_autumn.news.rcn.net>,   "Jerry Gitomer" <jgitomer_at_hbsrx.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> From a relational point of view you have a bad design. In
> essence you are storing an array in each row of the table. True,
> when using Oracle, it won't waste space, but what happens the day
> one item requires 11 attributes? (As improbable as that sounds
> to you today the probability of it happening is very close to 1!)
>
> regards
> Jerry Gitomer
>
> Nandakumar wrote in message <7pkl9o$hfp$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com>...
> >Hi,
> >
> >I need to store the attributes of an item in a table. The
> attributes are
> >not pre-defined, but there is a maximum limit to the number of
> >attributes, say 10. Initially there will only be "2" attributes
> that
> >would be stored in database. Unknown attributes are stored as
> NULLs.
> >
> >So i decide to go for a table with 10 varchar2 fields for the
> >attributes.
> >
> >Say, data are stored in this fashion in the database and the
> number of
> >records has reached 5(or more) million.
> >
> >Now, if i find out that there won't be any need to store more
> than "2"
> >attributes in the table how bad is my design of the table. How
> much
> >storage space would i have saved had i designed the table with
> just "2"
> >varchar2 fields?
> >
> >mmm! i hear you all say this is an one line question!!
> >Thanks
> >--
> >Nandakumar
> >Systems Analyst
> >New York
> >(N.Kumar_at_rocketmail.com)
> >
> >
> >Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> >Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
>
>

--
Nandakumar
Systems Analyst
New York
(N.Kumar_at_rocketmail.com)

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't. Received on Mon Aug 23 1999 - 13:37:42 CDT