Using pipes is fine until a user decides to use a pipe, then you will have the same type of issue as you would with any other "common" character. I would suggest using a combination of chars, something like "~|~" tilde-pipe-tilde as a separator.
Normally with comma separated delimiters all non numeric fields are enclosed with inverted comma's ( " ) and if the data contains an inverted comma it is then doubled up so ( " ) becomes ( "" ). ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Weikert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "SQL" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 10:50 PM Subject: Re: Database design question Claude Schneegans wrote: > In theory, I mean in pure strict theory, you should take the second > approach. > But in common practice, especially if you have only a few possible > parameters, > the first approach can be much easier to work with, especially for > updates. > I handle permissions for users this way in my intranet system, they may > be about > 15 or 20 different kind of permissions, no more. > You can even use a comma separated list, even easier to work with than > with pipe characters. > > I was figuring the separate-table route would be the "proper" way, but was wondering if, in the end, it would take up MORE drive space as far as the database files went. I used pipes because sometimes, the client-entered options for these data bits contain commas. Pipes aren't commonly used by anyone so they make a good delimeter. Thanks for the input guys :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/SQL/message.cfm/messageid:2552 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/SQL/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.6
