which is faster (more calls with few var or one call with many vars)

[mrsocks]

i have a bunch of variables in a library right now; discount rate, sales email address, tax rate, taxable state, etc....

would it be faster and more efficient to make one call to a table that had one row with many columns for all the info or many calls to the same table with different rows for each variable?

ex 1.
select * from options;
query;
fetch array
row = sales_email;
row = tax_rate
row = taxable state;
etc....

OR:
ex 2.

select var form options where id = 1
fetch array
row = sales email

select var form options where id = 2
fetch array
row = tax rate

select var form options where id = 3
fetch array
row = taxable state

etc....

i would think the first example would be fastest. but i figured i would run it by you.

thanks

[barand]

If in doubt, suck it and see. Get microtime at the start and again at the end and echo the difference. Do it for both methods.

My money's on the first.

[tomhath]

I'd expect the first to be faster, but be careful testing it. The first time a table is read it will probably be cached, so every other read after that will be fast.

Especially if this is a very small table (which it looks like), the whole thing is probably going to be in memory and both ways will be working at light speed.

[mrsocks]

thanks for the replies.

i am going to use the first example. there are only a few variables, but i just wanted to make sure that i was gettting into the correct habit.

i asked an friend of mine and he said the first will be faster.