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Asked: 2026-05-20T22:23:16+00:00

I have a table which has 11 columns, now most of the time three

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I have a table which has 11 columns, now most of the time three columns on this table will be empty, but then if I split in two, there are more queries per table. Whats your suggestions

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  1. Editorial Team

    There are a number of other variables to take into account. Some that come to mind are:

    • How large is the table?
    • How big are the three columns that are usually empty?
    • What types of queries use the table?
    • What type of data is in the columns? For example, if it is something that belongs in a lookup table, then it may make sense to avoid duplicating data. This one isn’t necessarily germane to the question but is worth considering.
    • Are the fields indexed (or used in any indexes)? If so, it would probably increase the cost of INSERTS and DELETES (not so much if they are empty and left unchanged during UPDATE operations).

    In general, though, I would say that leaving it as a single table is okay. 11 columns are not that many. So unless the table is really large (a relative term) and space is at a premium, the simplicity of a single table is a good idea particularly if the data logically belongs in the table.

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