Don't think "file" think "table"! ;-)
CREATE TABLE universitysynonyms (
ID int auto_increment primary key,
synonym varchar(40) not null,
university_id int not null,
UNIQUE(Synonym, university_id)
)
Each time you run into something you don't have in your "university"
table, add it to this table and relate it back to the university it
belongs to. After a while you will have all of the alternate spellings
listed here. Problem is with some synonyms like "OSU": That's either Ohio
State University, Oklahoma State University, or Oregon State University.
You will have 3 synonym records for "OSU" each one having a different
university_id. I guess in that case, the user has to pick which one to
use...
The database can't do it all but it can make it easier to keep up with it.
Shawn Green
Database Administrator
Unimin Corporation - Spruce Pine
"Lewick, Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 10/19/2004 01:38:49 PM:
> I need help on the best way to handle a field that could have many
> different ways of naming something.
>
> For instance, school name
> Let's take Saint Joseph's University
>
> This could be Saint Joseph's Univeristy, U. of St. Joe, SJU, Univ. St.
> Joe, etc...
>
> In this case, I don't think I can always get what I want by doing a
> select from table where name like "something". Is there a
> practical/better way to handle this kind of thing. This will come up a
> lot. I'm thinking right now I will have to maintain my own mapping file
> for each school...
>
> Something like
> Kansas, KU, Kansas University, University of Kansas, etc...
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> Taylor
>
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