So - I have a real estate listings table, and my client wants to add a "property type" field to each listing, such as "golf home", "ski home", "village home", "mountain condo" etc to each of the listings. This "field" will then be used in a quick search set of links that will be clickable on each page as an alternative to using the full search capability. The problem I am having is how to add this "field" to the listings table, because a listing can be more than one property type, ie, a "golf home" in the summer is also a "ski home" in the winter, etc. (It's a resort town) Now I think I've got a many to many relationship, and I want out.
My first thought was to just input the types into a comma delimited list and store that in a prop_type field in the listings table, but that is just plain ugly to work with, search from, will slow down my pages, etc. I then went to a bridge table design, using a prop_type table with an prop_type_ID and prop_type_name, then using a bridge table to link the three tables together (prop_type_FK, listing_FK, ID) but that'll be a nightmare to maintain in the future. I'm out of ideas. Is there a better way to do what I'm trying to do? Am I stuck? MySQL 4.x DB, BTW. Thanks, Ray ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Logware (www.logware.us): a new and convenient web-based time tracking application. Start tracking and documenting hours spent on a project or with a client with Logware today. Try it for free with a 15 day trial account. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=67 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:226378 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
