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Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding

From "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.php
References <cnKks.137076$Tf3.11521@fx12.am4> <vq6fm9-97b.ln1@luuk.invalid.lan>
Subject Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding
Message-ID <Btrls.182463$g62.111973@fx06.am4> (permalink)
Date 2012-11-04 10:30 +0000

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"Luuk"  wrote in message news:vq6fm9-97b.ln1@luuk.invalid.lan...
>
>On 02-11-2012 08:12, Tony Marston wrote:
>> When you design your database for your PHP application are you aware
>> that some of your design decisions can have a detrimental effect when it
>> comes to writing the code to access that database? I have been designing
>> databases, and building the applications which use them, for several
>> decades, and I have learned over the years that there are some design
>> decisions which help the developer while others do nothing more than
>> hinder. I have produced a document which lists 14 of these “hindrances”
>> which can be read at
>> http://www.tonymarston.net/php-mysql/database-design-ru-novice-ninja-or-nincompoop.html
>>
>>
>> Do you agree with my opinions? Can you think of any more questionable
>> design decisions which can be added to this list?
>>
>> Tony Marston
>>
>> http://www.tonymarston.net
>> http://www.radicore.org
>
>Basic Database Rules
>
>2.The primary key can be of almost any data type, but should not exceed the 
>size limit for the database (which is usually 255 characters). The primary 
>key can also span more than one column, and need not be the first column(s) 
>to be defined for the table.
>
>- This is not a 'basic database rule'. It's more a techinal-note on how the 
>world (might, because i did not verify) look like. The "size limit for the 
>database" is for sure something techical, which should not be a 'BASIC' 
>rule...

It needs to be identified as a rule in order to stop some newbie from using 
a large TEXT or BINARY column as a primary key. If you don't state it as a 
rule then how is a newbie to know that he's breaking it?

>- Some say you should only use 1 column for your primary key.
>
>7.All database, table and column names should use the standard character 
>set, which is comprised of letters, numbers and underscores. Attempting to 
>use symbols may seem "cool" at first, but eventually you will feel the 
>pain.
>9.All databases, both past and present, are case INsensitive when it comes 
>to names. This means that names such as "foo_bar", "FOO_BAR" and "Foo_Bar" 
>will all resolve to the same column.
>
>- I would not use underscores in my table or column names.

I would, for the simple reason that I started my career using operating 
systems which only had a single case, so using mixed case, as in "FooBar" 
was out of the question, and underscore was the standard separator, thus 
giving "foo_bar". If you choose to be different then that is your choice.

>- a 'basic database rule' should be that consistency in naming should be 
>used. If you use 'CarsSold' in one table, thant you should not have another 
>field named like 'cars_wrecked'.
>The consistency in naming you tables (and columns) is more important than 
>the case INsentiviity of it.

Case sensitive software causes more problems than it solves, which I why I 
take steps to avoid potential problems by keeping all my database, table and 
column names in lower case with the underscore separator.

-- 
Tony Marston

http://www.tonymarston.net
http://www.radicore.org

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Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-02 07:12 +0000
  Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "M. Strobel" <sorry_no_mail_here@nowhere.dee> - 2012-11-02 09:53 +0100
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-03 09:14 +0000
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "M. Strobel" <sorry_no_mail_here@nowhere.dee> - 2012-11-03 18:01 +0100
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-03 15:03 -0400
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-04 10:11 +0000
          Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Peter H. Coffin" <hellsop@ninehells.com> - 2012-11-04 14:37 -0600
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "M. Strobel" <sorry_no_mail_here@nowhere.dee> - 2012-11-03 19:00 +0100
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-04 10:18 +0000
          Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-04 07:29 -0500
  Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-02 06:48 -0400
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Goran <goran@nospam.com> - 2012-11-02 12:34 +0100
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-02 07:48 -0400
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-03 09:28 +0000
          Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "J.O. Aho" <user@example.net> - 2012-11-03 10:56 +0100
            Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-04 10:09 +0000
              Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-04 07:32 -0500
              Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "J.O. Aho" <user@example.net> - 2012-11-04 16:45 +0100
          Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-03 10:52 -0400
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2012-11-02 11:56 +0000
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-03 09:17 +0000
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-03 10:54 -0400
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Luuk <luuk@invalid.lan> - 2012-11-03 16:06 +0100
          Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-03 11:25 -0400
  Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2012-11-02 11:13 +0000
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-03 09:31 +0000
      Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2012-11-03 13:08 +0000
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2012-11-03 10:55 -0400
        Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-04 10:04 +0000
  Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Luuk <luuk@invalid.lan> - 2012-11-03 11:04 +0100
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Tony Marston" <TonyMarston@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-04 10:30 +0000
  Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding Erwin Moller <erwinmollerusenet@xs4all.nl> - 2012-11-15 15:49 +0100
    Re: Bad database design can cause unnecessary coding "Peter H. Coffin" <hellsop@ninehells.com> - 2012-11-15 12:03 -0600

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