What would be the best way to design a mysql table, which can be filled with HTML (+PHP) form.
Actually I have this structure:
Table PRODUCT
ID | Ordernumber | Name | Desc | Price
Table PRODUCT_KIDS
ID | MasterProductID | Ordernumber | Price
The only difference between my 2 tables are Name and Desc.
The ADD HTML form looks like this:
DATA FOR PRODUCT
Ordernumber
Name
Desc
Price
DATA FOR PRODUCT_KIDS
Ordnernumber
Price
For some reasons, the customers want for example only 2 PRODUCT_KIDS without their MasterProduct. In this case I need the Name and the Description from the Master-Product.
My questions are the following:
- Should I merge these two tables together? Is this the best way to search for something?
- When I merge these 2 tables, should I save the Name & Desc for the PRODUCT_KIDS as well (for the example above)?
Who cares? Contrary to popular believe, MySql is JUST ANOTHER relational database and PHP just another web scripting technology. The answer is the same whether you use mysql + php or oracle + java or sql server + asp.net.
The principles of relational database design apply to any relational database. As such, the question is not related to MySql and particularly not at all to PHP.
This is a simplistic view on the topic that leaves out a lot of even legal items, such as possible international taxation, different shipping codes and their prices (not all items can be combined in one shipment) and for example customization of items in general – I remember writing a shop where PIPES where sold, in custom lengths 😉 And some items requires separate shipping 😉
"The Data Model Resosource Book", Volume 1, discusses standard enterprise scnearios in great depth – including address management (not as simple as most people do it), accounting and…. the whole shop blabla (storage, inventory, pricing). BOTH (!) of your approaches are simplistic and would be totally illegal in my juristidciton because it would not take into acocunt legal requirments for properly tracking taxation on various products.
I can only suggest gtting it – they also go in great depth on some of the industry level particularities. For example 😉 – Apparel. Make a shop for cloths and you go nuts on "variatns in size AND color for the same product". Your approach would result in a "shirt" possibly having 200 children (sizes * colors) 😉
I would suggest: back to the drawing board. With a good book 😉 I personally loved reading this book – hm – a long time ago.