Re: MySQL Queries - Full Question This Time :)

>> AND (master.ID = artist.ID AND master.ID = track.ID);
>
>there's your problem
>first of all, they're varchars, and you'd be way better off using numbers

I used varchars because the info for that field goes something like
"CLA520" or "FOL982" etc. I had wondered about trying to break that up
further into two fields, one for the three letter category and then another
for the actual number.... you think that would make a difference? (It seems
to fit what your response was, anyway.)

>also, i don't understand the 1-to-many relationships here

The three are linked by the ID. A matching ID is supposed to pull album
specific info from the "master" table (album title, date entered, label,
etc.) and match all the artists from the "artist" table that have that same
ID, and then the same for "track".

Is that what you mean?

>also, this design does not allow for compilation albums, where the tracks
>are all by different artists

Part of my problem has been that most of the database was converted from an
old (Dataease) database and I had to mimic the original setup to get all
the data in. (The original format could only export in limited formats.)

I've had a few thoughts on what I'd like to make different as far as the
basic structure, but I haven't found a way that I could do so and feasibly
convert the old data. I'd *love* to have been involved when it began, so as
to have had more say in the design. There may still be more that I can do
to change it though, your suggestion is a sound one.


~ Nathan Lyle

Email: natelyle(at)chartermi.net
Phone: (906)485-4806
http://www.nathanlyle.com

"Those that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin

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