Question

User is assigned to a group ID. There are multiple login area, eg: frontend, backend and the control panel login.

I am wondering should I keep LoginArea in seperate table or what is alternative way?

Example:

tbl_user
 UserID | firstName | Email | Password | LoginArea | GroupID

 1 , Bill , [e-mail] , passwordhash344, Backend | 2
 2 , Paul , [e-mail] , passwordhash123, Backend | 3

or

tbl_user
 UserID | firstName | Email | Password | GroupID

tbl_group
GroupID | LoginArea         |    Group_Name
 0      ,      Frontend     ,        Customer  
 1      ,      Backend      ,        Admin
 2      ,      Backend      ,        Staff   
 3      ,      Backend      ,        Sales
 20     ,      ControlPanel ,        Shop

//Note GroupID is not PK

So if I want to login to backend, I need to make sure I am on the backend login first. Use SQL something like this?

SELECT count(*) FROM members 
   WHERE email = 'emailhere' AND
     password = 'password' AND 
     LoginArea = 'Backend'

That just to make sure customer login detail wont work on the backend login area.

Answer 1

There are certain things to consider here:

• Will there be ever a situation where you would have more login areas or there are only 3 login areas?
• Will there be a situation where user belonging to one group needs to have login access to all 3 areas or 2 areas?

If your answers to both question is yes then it would make sense to have first example design.

tbl_user
 UserID | firstName | Email | Password | LoginArea | GroupID

 1 , Bill , [e-mail] , passwordhash344, Backend | 2
 2 , Paul , [e-mail] , passwordhash123, Backend | 3