Boolean in db

JakesSA

I have got a intranet that I am developing. Only certain people will have access to changes on this intrant.

I want to control these changes with a table in my db. How would I go and set it up? I would like to use a boolean value (true or false), where I can query the value with PHP

My table setup...looks something like this:

create table access (
access_id int(4) NOT NULL auto_increment,
access_type bool, #------------------------------> is this correct
user_id int(4) NOT NULL,
primary key (access_id)
) type = MyIsam;

or would I go and use a char value (0 and 1)

Thanks

ereptur

using a tinyint with a width of 1 so that you can use 0 or 1 would be the best course of action to indicate a bool. There is not actually a bool column type in any SQL server that I know of. Optionally, you could use an ENUM and specify True and False as the only two options.

JakesSA

I to haven't come across it either before, but when I was typing the script in mysql-front, it was high lighted .... so I was hoping there was some advances... anyway thanks....I'll will go with your advice and go with the tinyint

dspeer

I've come accross the same situation in developing an intranet for my company. I have various user permission levels (to assign different department heads various authority on the site and those under them to only access relevant info). I have created a permissions table (called tblPermissions, of all names). Within this table are all of my relevant fields: one field for each department. I make this field a tinyint with a length on 1. If a user does not have access to an area, I assign them a value of 0 for that area. If they have access, I assign them a 1. If they are the department manager, they have a value of 2. If they are a VP or manager of the department manager, they get a value of 3. This way I can control all levels of access for all departments and can add on to the site as needed. Bool, by the way, is just a tinyint with a length of 1 in mysql. But it IS supported in mysql.