Question

I have to create a table in the way shown below. Can we create in this way? (If Yes)

Table_name: Sample

product_id|   product_name| category   |
    1     |   Sample1     |  1|2|3     |
    2     |   sample2     |  4|5|6     |

where category filed which contains multiple values.

& how we can search for category 4 comes in which row of the table.

Answer 1

You cannot create nested table. And the thing on your mind is not a good idea to design table like that. You should have two tables (exactly three which holds the description if the category). One is for the product and the second table holds the category for each product. Example design would look like this,

CREATE TABLE Product
(
    ProductID INT PRIMARY KEY,
    ProductName VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE
);

CREATE TABLE Category
(
    CategoryID INT PRIMARY KEY,
    CategoryName VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE
);

CREATE TABLE Product_Category
(
    RecordD INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    CategoryID INT,
    ProductID INT,
    CONSTRAINT tb_uq UNIQUE(CategoryID, ProductID)
);

and Populate Sample Records

INSERT Category VALUES (1, 'Fruit');
INSERT Category VALUES (2, 'Vegetable');

INSERT Product VALUES (1, 'Apple');
INSERT Product VALUES (2, 'Banana');
INSERT Product VALUES (3, 'Cabbage');
INSERT Product VALUES (4, 'Squash');
INSERT Product VALUES (5, 'Tomato');

INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (1,1);
INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (1,2);
INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (2,3);
INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (2,4);
INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (1,5);
INSERT Product_Category (CategoryID, ProductID) VALUES (2,5);

• SQLFiddle Demo (with records included)

sample queries

-- NORMAL QUERY
SELECT  a.ProductName, c.CategoryName
FROM    Product a
        INNER JOIN Product_category b
          ON a.ProductID = b.ProductID
        INNER JOIN Category c
          ON b.CategoryID = c.CategoryID
ORDER BY ProductName;

-- If you want catgoryName to be comma separated
SELECT  a.ProductName, GROUP_CONCAT(c.CategoryName) CategoryList
FROM    Product a
        INNER JOIN Product_category b
          ON a.ProductID = b.ProductID
        INNER JOIN Category c
          ON b.CategoryID = c.CategoryID
GROUP BY ProductName
ORDER BY ProductName;