which method is better to do.

I have 5 tables. They represent sections/parts of a companies
standards. There are 13 main categories, each of those categories
has subsections (some with 3, some with 10 or more), those
subsections have subsections, etc.

Which table design is better to do.

Table A
ID
Std_no
Name

Table B
ID
table_a_id
Std_no
Name

Table C
ID
table_b_id
Std_no
Name

Table D
ID
table_c_id
Std_no
Name

Table E
ID
table_d_id
Std_no
Name

In this case, each table links back to the one before it. via the unique ID

OR

Table A
std_a
Name

Table B
std_a
std_b
Name

Table C
std_a
std_b
std_c
Name

Table D
std_a
std_b
std_c
std_d
Name

Table E
std_a
std_b
std_c
std_d
std_e
Name

In this case, additional fields are used and all pieces linking to
the previous part of the standard are used.



This will be used in a web app. Cascading Drop down boxes will be
used and a person will select the standard.
Thus, they select Item 3 from table A, selection box B has only items
related to from table A that are related to Item 3. They select from
selection box c which may (or may not) have items related to what was
in table B.



I hope this makes sense. Hard to diagram it here.


Thanks!

Brett



--
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/Brett C. Harvey;
/Creative-Pages.Net, President;
/Facility Management Systems, CTO (www.waldo.com/www.fmsystems.biz);
/Lasso Professional Alliance Member ID #LPA135259 (www.lassosoft.com);
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Brett Harvey schrieb:
> which method is better to do.
>
> I have 5 tables. They represent sections/parts of a companies
> standards. There are 13 main categories, each of those categories has
> subsections (some with 3, some with 10 or more), those subsections have
> subsections, etc.
>
> Which table design is better to do.


search for: nested sets or something similar

--
Sebastian Mendel