Re: Mysql/php database performance question

"keeping those 5 columns with a lot of empty cells in the last columns" is better as it is means exactly for that. Just don't make it a not null field. -- Maxim Maletsky maxim@php.net "Khalid El-Kary" <khalid_kary@hotmail.com> wrote... : > the thing that may make difference in performance (as i think) is whether > you make it a fixed -CHAR- or a variable -VARCHAR- it's preferable that you > make separate char columns, so that PHP will not have to explode every > record! > > Regards, > Khalid Al-Kary, > > > > > >Hi, > > > >I got a question about using Mysql databases. > >I load textdata in VARCHAR colums up to size 50. I have about 5 of those > >columns. > >The last columns often contain empty cells. (data are wordmeanings, many > >words have only a 1 or 2meanings) > > > >What would be faster/better: > >- putting everything in a big varchar column (size 5x50) and PHP parsing > >them by comma after > > fetching > > > > or > > > >- keeping those 5 columns with a lot of empty cells in the last columns? > > > >Thanks, > >Simon > > > > > >-- > >PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > >To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php > > > _________________________________________________________________ > The new MSN 8 is here: Try it free* for 2 months > http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup > > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php >