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Best way to store lists of varying lengths

  1. #1
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    Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    The simplest way may be the best, but I'm looking for a way that might be a bit cleaner...

    I have a database that tracks office staff,space and network info. Well, right now it's mostly tracking staff and office space, but I want to work in the networking. Given our layout, each space has 1 (or more) data jacks. for most offices/cubes this is 1 to 4. For most of the meeting rooms this is 4-8, and for a few this could be up to 16 (training rooms).

    Inititially I was going to make 16 columns in the table to allow for what might be the max number of jacks (also an issue, as this could possibly increase). To me this is a lot of dead space, especially since the data is attached to a Visio diagram that will list the info in each cell with a mouse over.

    the Data Jack list is it's own table that also ties into the switch layout per floor (other info that we want to be able to track when having to do traces).

    My next thought would be to make a text field that will append each added jack jack name (seperated by a ';' or other key char). This will make the list of the data easier to display, but issues arise when (though highly unlikely, except due to user error) data jacks are to be moved from one space to another. Yes unlikely, but this planing to be rolled out across Canada, and I would like the least amount of hiccups/headaches possible.

    Any ideas on the best way to store this info in the table?

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    Re: Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    I'm guessing by the lack of responses that there is no other way of doing this... I'm going to experiment with the string parsing and see how it goes...

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    Forum Guru Norie's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    One thing you definitely shouldn't have is a field for each jack.

    Another thing is that you shouldn't store multiple items of data in one field, as you would be doing if you had a list of jacks separated ny ';'.

    Can you detail the exact relationship between everything involved?

    For example how are jacks related to office space/staff?
    If posting code please use code tags, see here.

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    Forum Expert shg's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    How about listing jack numbers in one column and location in the next?
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    Forum Guru Norie's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    shg

    Do you mean fields?

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    Re: Best way to store lists of varying lengths

    I can give you an example. At my desk (cube 4028) I have 2 jacks, 415-PD075 and 415-SD075. the relationship would be to each cube/room. Right now I have a table that stores each jack's information :
    Autonumber - incase there are duplicate number systems over various offices
    LocCode - The 3 letter office designation code
    BoxNumber - this is the name of the jack such as 415-PD075
    OfficeNumber - this is the room/cube that the jack is located in
    SwitchIP - switch name this port is plugged into
    SwithPort - the actual port on the switch it is plugged into
    Notes - notes on the jack, if needed

    I could easily then list the ports per office in a report. I don't have a problem with that. My problem is that the port information needs to show up in a field in my Visio floor plan for it to fully useful.

    I guess I should have said that in the begining.

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