Re: TOP N Query

"Harpreet Singh" <harpreet_at_ruksun.com> writes:

> Thank you Billy for your reply, I shall try out the method you have
> suggested.
>
> >The proper way would be to design the database and table to meet the
> > end-user requirements.. :-)
>

Not sure I can agree here. I've seen too many databases which were designed with the end user requirements being considered to be the primary goal at the cost of propper modelling of the data and identification of correct entities and their relationships. The result is often a "de-normalized" database design.

While I don't think you should ignore end-user requirements, they should not have too much influence in modelling and design. It is also difficult to predict what the end user requirements will be. One of the main databases I work with was designed before web interfaces were in vogue - all the interfaces to the system at the time of design were of a more traditional design where the client application was able to maintain state etc. However, I think it is a credit to the original designers this database has managed to still be productive and it has been possible to incorporate a web interface without too many difficulties .  

> I think my database design is good. And this problem can occur to anyone.
> It's a simple one where the user would not like to see a list of all the
> employees / trainees (etc) but in a group of 10. after that the next 10 and
> so on (basically pagination). Calling all people of Oracle world to
> suggest something :)
>

You did not specify what platform the web interface is being developed on - JSP, servlets, PSP, etc. If you are using PL/SQL, check out the owa_util package - I think there are procedures in this package for generating HTML tables of data from a SQL query which supports pagenation.

Tim

-- 
Tim X.
tcross (at) northnet com au