best way to code this insert thinking in fastest way

[tamayo]

Hi, i have four forms type that use the same insert method, here it is the scenario:

way 1:
-name
-age
-home dir
-ID

way2:
-name
-work dir

way 3:
-name
-id
-sex

way 4:
-name
-id
-sex
-home dir
-work dir

as you can see, not all ways use all database fields, this application will be used by one hundred users, so, thinking in the fastest way and performance for LAMP, what should be the best way to code the insert?

way 1:
$xway=$_POST["txtway"];
$xname=$_POST["name"];

if($xway=="02" || $xway=="04"){
$xworkdir=$_POST["workidr"];
}

if($xway=="03" || $xway=="04"){
$xsex=$_POST["sex"];
}

insert into $table() values()....

or this:
way 2

$xway=$_POST["txtway"];
$xname=$_POST["name"];
$xworkdir=$_POST["workidr"];  //might be null in some cases
$xsex=$_POST["sex"];   //might be null in some cases

insert into....

i want to now between way1 or way2 what it is the best way to do the insert without to overload apache2 and php in evaluating or not possible values

thanks for our replies

merry christmas

[Weedpacket]

Or, after verifying that $POST['txtway'] has a valid value and putting that value into $xway:

switch($xway)
{
case 1:
  // Get and verify values from $_POST['name'], $_POST['age'], $_POST['homedir'] and $_POST['id']
  //Insert into table values()....
   break;
case 2:
  // Get and verify values from $_POST['name'] and $_POST['workdir']
  //Insert into table values()....
   break;
...
}