Assuming you're using text fields, just include paragraph breaks normally ("\n\n") within the field entry. If you're outputting with HTML, you'll definitely need to replace those with <p> tags, but if you're simply e-mailing the contents plain text, or outputting in some other fashion, it should be straightforward to keep the the formatting intact.
Adding a separate table just for the paragraphs seems like more work than necessary, but would certainly work as well. Jelle Ferwerda wrote: > HI all, > > Just a week or so ago I started testing PHP and MySQL databases. Testing is over. I >have figured out the basic controls etc. and it is time for the construction of the >database and the PhP scripts to get the site up and running. The general layout of >the database and its tables is more or less clear to me, except for one important >point, for which I would like some advise.. > > How do you generate multiple paragraphs as output, if they do not have specific >characteristics. > Say: I am building a database about a sensor, and this page covers like 2 pages of >A4 text. Obviously I'd like to make more then one paragraph and add some >layout&imagery between paragraphs. How do you put it in a database? (Say: Like this >message: The sender is me, the subject is multiple paragraphs, so you should be able >to select the message. How do you get the formatting in different paragraphs, since >it is not with a specific title, intro paragraph, main text and footer text). Any >number of paragraphs and images is possible, so I cannot just create a field for each >paragraph. > > Do you put all text as one entry in one field, with HTML to format the paragraphs? I >think it would work, but it doens't seem like it is THE solution.. > > Or should I add a table in which you put the paragraphs, which you select through >your main database, and then sort by paragraph number? > > Like: > > Table sensors > [Sensor][compagny][country]..[sensor_ID] > > Table Contents > [Sensor_No][Para_No][Content] > > The answer is probably obvious to you, but for a newbie like me... My >database-design book is unfortunatey not made for building databases for the web, and >do not explain this sort of structures. Unfortunately: SQL queries fail miserably in >my brain.. Probably need a mental upgrade here.. > > Hope you can help! > > Thanks, > > Jelle. > > > -- _______ ___ _ ____ _____ Chris Hobbs / ____\ \ / / | | |/ ___\| __ \ Head Geek | (___ \ \ / /| | | | (___ | | | | WebMaster \___ \ \ \/ / | | | |\___ \| | | | PostMaster ____) | \ / | |__| |____) | |__| | \____/ \/ \____/ \____/|_____/ http://www.silvervalley.k12.ca.us [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To contact the list administrators, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]