unclear cardinality

[BEFOR]

-- moved from php forum --
Determining cardinality (assuming cardinality does take precedence) I'm debating whether this could be considered a one-to-many or many-to-many relationship.

• Many registered users each supply several products/services. Each of the products/services are available through many registered users, though by very few in many parts of the country (listed onsite by zip code)

Now here is why I ask the question: I have limited the # of product/service listings to a maximum of 6 total for each registered users in a directory. So is this still considered a many to many? Or could I reasonably expect to list these product/service values within 6 columns of a table for ea rowid of a registered user?

[AstroTeg]

I'd say its still many-to-many which deserves another table. Then when its time to go to 7 available, its a matter of adding an additional row in this many-to-many reference table. Those who have less than 7 won't be effected and you wouldn't really have to update any code anywhere to handle the couple missing. Plus, if you want to take a way the number, its a matter of looping through the rows and deciding which one to leave out or delete. I'd say let your business logic reside in your code.