"transactions" table strategy

[bruceg]

I am building an application where the client would like to have a record of all changes made to the database. I am planning on a separate table that keeps a "log" everytime someone updates the db, and stores the username,date/time of change, screen number (html filename), etc. I am wondering what the easiest way to identify which fields that they changed. For example, if they only changed one field on the screen, how could I identify just that one field?

[Anon]

if( $old_value1 != $new_value1 ) blah...

do it for all the variables.

however that would be the assbackwards way to do it, because you can just turn mysql loggin on and it will do it all for you.

as for the user who changed it... if you want that information it should be in the record itself!

i usually add changed_id, changed_time, changed_machine columns to my tables, and put in the persons id, a timestamp, and their IP address during every update.

then in the mysql log you could see all the updates being made.