Hi Peter, Thanks for the reply. So are you saying like this?
Repair RID INT, Date DATE, Tech_ID INT, R_TYPE_ID INT 1 2015-07-28 3243 3 2 2015-06-15 1253 1 Repair_details ID, APL_TYPE VARCHAR(35), REPAIR_CODE CHAR(4), DESC 1 Refridgerator C compressor 2 Wash Mach MC Motor Coupler 3 Dish Washer SA Spray Arm 4 Refridgerator DP Drain Pan Not sure what you mean by repeating details.What would the look up table look like? Thanks 2015-07-29 9:38 GMT-05:00 <peter.braw...@earthlink.net>: > > one table with a long ENUM column that contains repairs that > > could be attributed to any appliance or different repair tables > > for each appliance. > > The first would stick you with extending the enum column forever, the > second would stick you with unmanageable table glut, so you need the > traditional relational solution---a parent repairs table to track common > repair attributes, a child table to track the details, and lookup tables to > track repeating details. > > PB > > ---- Original Message ---- > From: "Richard Reina" <gatorre...@gmail.com> > Reply-To: "Richard Reina" <gatorre...@gmail.com> > Date: 07/29/15 10:19 AM > To: "mysql@lists.mysql.com" <mysql@lists.mysql.com> > Cc: > Sub: table design question > If I were to create a database table(s) to tract most common repairs to > different appliances I can't decide if it would be better to create one > table with a long ENUM column that contains repairs that could be > attributed to any appliance or different repair tables for each appliance. > All the tables would describe the same thing -- a repair -- however the the > things being repaired are different in nature which means a great deal of > types of repairs that do not relate. Here is an example. > > repair_wash_mach > ID INT, Date DATE, Tech_ID INT, Type ENUM( 'leak', 'motor_coupler', > 'pump', 'controls', 'agitator') > > repair_dish_washer > ID INT, Date DATE, Tech_ID INT, Type ENUM( 'drain_arm', 'drive_belt', > 'door_latch', 'spray_arm', 'drain_valve') > > repair_refridgerator > ID INT, Date DATE, Tech_ID INT, Type ENUM( 'circ_fan', 'compressor', > 'disps_line', 'drain_pan', 'feeler_arm') > > Or since they are all repairs should they be in one table with a REALLY > long ENUM table -- that will need to me altered as the number of appliances > will most likely increase? > > ID INT, APPLIANCE VARCHAR(35), Date DATE, Tech_ID INT, Type ENUM( 'leak', > 'motor_coupler', 'pump', 'controls', 'agitator', 'drain_arm', 'drive_belt', > 'door_latch', 'spray_arm', 'drain_valve', 'circ_fan', 'compressor', > 'disps_line', 'drain_pan', 'feeler_arm') > > ---- End Original Message ---- >
