Re: Advice sought

From: Galen Boyer <galenboyer_at_yahoo.com>
Date: 19 May 2001 19:52:07 -0500
Message-ID: <u4rugu9nw.fsf@primix.com>

On Sat, 19 May 2001, vmessner_at_bestweb.net wrote:

> I need to resolve both those issues.
> 
> 
> "Galen Boyer" <galenboyer_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:uheyiavjy.fsf_at_primix.com...

>> On Sat, 19 May 2001, vmessner_at_bestweb.net wrote:
>>
>> > I have a database design I believe will accommodate all
>> > countries addresses and phones but what about data?
>>
>> Are you going to need to display the same pages, with the same
>> text, except in different languages as well?

I would recommend two tables for each logical entity. I used a design which I called the B&L (Base and Language). For example, I had a logical account table which look liked

create table account(

    act_id number
    act_status number
    act_name varchar2(100)

    ...
)

I split this into two tables like

create table account_b(

    act_id number
    act_status number
)

and

create table account_l(

    act_id number
    language_code char(3)
    act_name varchar2(100)
)

I then joined account_b and account_l to bring back account. I did every single logical table this way.

Why?

So, the main database had the B&L structure, but then each language that was supported had a schema, maybe, jp_user, en_user, ch_user, ...

The application needed to know whether the person browsing the site wanted what language. The application then logged in as the correct user and accessed the account object which was a view of the B&L where language_code = 'EN' or 'CH' ...

Then, the application actually never needed to be aware of the language except, of course on entry into the database. Each user had the exact same set of views which all accessed the main database on language code. Worked out pretty nice.

Make sense?

>> Or, are you looking for how to deal with addresses, phones and
>> such?

Sounds like you need different help here.

-- 
Galen
I don't want to be the rock.  Yeah, okay, what do you want to be?
I want to be the piece of glass.

Received on Sat May 19 2001 - 19:52:07 CDT