Jodi-
Given you two choices, I would go for #2, but consider this third option:
Publication:
pub_id
other_stuff
Keyword:
keyword_id
keyword_text
Keyword_assignment:
pub_id
keyword_id
Keyword only contains 6 records, but you can add new keywords as needed in
the future. (Option #1 didn't give you that ability.)
Duplication of data is kept to a minimum.
-Nick
-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-admin-owner@postgresql.org
[mailto:pgsql-admin-owner@postgresql.org]On Behalf Of Jodi Kanter
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 10:46 AM
To: Postgres Admin List
Subject: [ADMIN] proper db standard
I am creating a simple database that will hold information about various
publications. There are keywords that are associated with these publications
and there can be anywhere from 1 to about 6 of these different keywords.
As I see it I have two choices:
1) create keyword fields 1-6 in the publications database and accept that
some of these fields will be empty.
2) create two tables: "publication" and "keyword". In this scenario I have
no limit on the amount of keywords that are used and I don't have empty
fields. However, many of the keywords repeat for different publications. In
this situation I would have some repeating words in the columns.
I lean toward #2 but wanted to see if there was a preferred standard or
another possibility that I am overlooking??
Thanks
Jodi
_______________________________
Jodi L Kanter
BioInformatics Database Administrator
University of Virginia
(434) 924-2846
jkanter@virginia.edu