[Resolved] "Rational" database

Chrisskidmore

I've been asked to add a few product groups to an existing php/mysql application. There are about 20,000 products in one table at the moment with 20 fields. Lots of blank fields.

The new groups use many of the existing fields but in total there would be 5 extra fields.

This means for each row of the products already there there would be 5 empty fields

The five new fields will be of type double none of them are indexed.

"Rational" say I shouldn't do this but to change it would mean major changes to a rather inflexible application

My question - will empty fields cause a significant overhead?

Any thoughts would be welcome, what would you do?

Thanks
Chris

toma42

With only 20,000 records?! No problem!

Until you really want to refactor the whole thing I suggest you patch it as best you can.

20,000 really isn't that many records.

ultraslacker

product groups sound like they belong in another table - adding groups should not mean adding columns but rather adding rows to a relation.

I understand what you mean by an 'inflexible application'.

Chrisskidmore

Originally posted by toma42
With only 20,000 records?! No problem!

Until you really want to refactor the whole thing I suggest you patch it as best you can.

20,000 really isn't that many records.

Briilient, many thanks - all I needed to know - Splitting the tables would have been a challange but ... well not today!