Re: DB required to list multiple D.I.V.O.R.C.E.S. & Re-marriages

In message <c0d87ec0.0112201043.59809443_at_posting.google.com>, --CELKO-- <71062.1056_at_compuserve.com> writes
>>> With many couple getting Divorced and re-married should I have multiple
>cross referenced columns? <<
>
>What you want to track is marriages, not people. Try something like this:
>
>CREATE TABLE Marriages
>(husband_id INTEGER NOT NULL
> REFERENCES Men(id),
> wife_id INTEGER NOT NULL
> REFERENCES Women(id),

There's an assumption here, which is that marriages always require one male and one female partner. Having given this a little more thought it seems more complicated than that. There are jurisdictions that permit same sex marriages and some that recognise multiple wives who may not all have the same marital status as each other.[1]

In most jurisdictions the assumption is valid. If the application is to be universal then it may have to cope with the other forms.

[1] see also The Moon Is A Hard Mistress - Heinlein, Robert Anson.

-- 
Bernard Peek
bap_at_shrdlu.com

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