Are one row, one column tables "acceptable"?

I recently asked how to save a system variable into an Oracle database, and Sybrand Bakker, DA Morgan, and Hans Forbrich gave me some ideas I hadn't thought of (using a PL/SQL package constant, using a login trigger, etc). The general idea revolved around using the PL/SQL package to pull the value once from a table, instead of referencing the table over and over and over again.

How acceptable are one row, one column tables? I've heard of people storing multiple system variables in two-column, multi-row tables, with column names such as "parameter_name" and "parameter_value". But is using a one row/one column table common? Or is it a way that works, but of bad design (like creating multiple public rollback segments in the System tablespace)?

Are there any particular ways I should define this table? Do I -need- an index? (It's only one value.) Should I store this table in the system tablespace? Restrict the storage to a few kilobytes? Keep the tablespace from extending itself?

Should I create a two-column, multi-row table anyway, for "future implementation"?

Thanks!

-Thomas Received on Sat Apr 05 2003 - 22:11:51 CST