I think you're right. The biggger the project, the more important is strict normalisation. On a small system, it might just get in the way. Nevertheless, you are raising interface issues which are separate from db design. For example, there's no reason why you couldn't have a combo box (e.g. cf_combo_box) that let you pick an ingredient or enter a new one.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 10:40 AM Subject: RE: CF/Database Help > I'm just taking this from the user's side rather than the programmer's. > > Would you be making a highly capable system whose elegance is lost on a user when he has to pick one ingredient from a drop-down list of 200 (and populate that list himself when he needs a new ingredient not on the list)? > > I'm just suggesting that the user should have options put before him: expandability/capability vs. simplicity/usability, and let him decide. Then you build based on informed consent. > > --------------------------------------- > Matt Robertson [EMAIL PROTECTED] > MSB Designs, Inc., www.mysecretbase.com > --------------------------------------- > > > ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- > from: "VAN VLIET, SCOTT E (SBCSI)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 14:12:31 -0800 > > I have been raised on a strict background on database normalization. I am > always thinking of the term, "scalability". ^_^ > > -- > Scott Van Vliet > Senior Analyst > SBC Services, Inc. > ITO Enterprise Tools > Office: 858.886.3878 > Pager: 858.536.0070 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Robertson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 2:02 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: RE: CF/Database Help > > > Is there any particular reason why ONE table wouldn't do the trick just > fine? > > Title (varchar 255) > Recipe (long text) > > or break it out to maybe refine ingredient searches and get a little > fancier: > > ShortDescr (long text) > Ingredients (long text) > Method (long text) > KeyWords (varchar 255) > > If all the guy wants to do is type in his recipes and find them again, or > search for all recipes which contain chili peppers, wouldn't this be simpler > for him to maintain and deliver the same functionality? > > --------------------------------------- > Matt Robertson [EMAIL PROTECTED] > MSB Designs, Inc., www.mysecretbase.com > --------------------------------------- > > > ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- > from: "VAN VLIET, SCOTT E (SBCSI)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 13:49:16 -0800 > > Depending on the depth of you database, the best thing to do would to be > create a master RECIPE table, and a master INGREDIENT table. The, you could > create an linkage table that would like n number of ingredients to a recipe. > > EXAMPLE: > > RECIPE > ================================================== > RC_ID RC_NAME RC_DESCRIPTION > -------------------------------------------------- > 10 Chocolate Cookies Yummy! > 20 Chocolate Brownies More Yummy! > > INGREDIENT > ================================================== > IN_ID IG_NAME IN_DESCRIPTION > -------------------------------------------------- > 1 Flour White Stuff > 2 Sugar Sweet Stuff > 3 Egg Yolks & Stuff > 4 Salt NaCl2 > 5 Chocolate Good Stuff > 6 Chocolate Chips Little Stuff > > RECIPE_INGREDIENT > ============================= > RI_ID RC_ID IN_ID > ----------------------------- > 1 10 1 > 2 10 2 > 3 10 3 > 4 10 4 > 6 10 6 > 7 20 1 > 8 20 2 > 9 20 3 > 10 20 4 > 11 20 5 > > The table, RECIPE_INGREDIENT, would contain an identity for the relationship > (RI_ID), a reference to the recipe (RC_ID) and a reference to the related > ingredient (IN_ID). > > So, to find out what ingredients are used in Chocolate Brownies, you could: > > SELECT RI.IN_ID, IN.IN_NAME, IN.IN_DESCRIPTION > FROM RECIPE_INGREDIENT RI JOIN > INGREDIENT IN ON RI.IN_ID = IN.IN_ID > WHERE RI.RC_ID = 20 > > You can go even farther and attach the recipe details to this query. But I > hope this leads you in the right direction! > > -- > Scott Van Vliet > Senior Analyst > SBC Services, Inc. > ITO Enterprise Tools > Office: 858.886.3878 > Pager: 858.536.0070 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Deborah Curley [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 1:31 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: CF/Database Help > > > Hi, > I have a friend whose a chef and has asked me build him a database of > recipes and a web app he can use to search, enter new recipes, etc. What I'm > > trying to figure out is the best way to store the ingredients since a recipe > > can have anywhere from 5 to 20 ingredients? Any ideas on the best way to > handle that? > > TIA, > Deb > > _________________________________________________________________ > Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > http://www.hotmail.com > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
