DB design opinions

[Tim Davis]

Hi Gary,

> I have an interface design where fields can have multiple values, 
> usually displayed in a listbox. Currently I use separate tables for 
> the fields linked to the main table. An alternate method would be to 
> store the values as a delimited list in a VString field in the main 
> table.
>
> I don't have a problem with either method but would like opinions from 
> others on how they handle similar situations. Is there a  disadvantage 
> to having a high number of tables or does it matter?

I use a Preferences table to lookup certain app design values, which 
could be used for the delimited string you mention above. It kind of 
depends how dynamic you want that list to be. You might find that a 
table for these value provides some flexibility if you wanted to edit 
that list easily, or sort, etc.

Tim Davis