Mysql Dynamic Table expanding columns - mysql

Question

I am wondering if there is a better way to make some mysql tables than what I have been using in this project. I have a series of numbers which represent a specific time. Such as the number 101 would represent Jan 12, 2012 for example. It doesn't only represent time but that is the very basic of that information. So I created a lexicon table which has all the numbers we use and details such as time and meaning of that number. I have another table that is per customer which whenever they make a purchase I check off that the purchase is eligiable for a specific time. But the table where I check off each purchase and the lexicon table are not linked. I am wondering if there is a better way, maybe a way to have an sql statement take all the data from the Lexicon table and turn that into columns while the rows consist of customer ID and a true/false selector.
table structure
THIS IS THE CUSTOMER PURCHASED TABLE T/F
CREATE TABLE `group1` (
`100` TINYINT(4) NULL DEFAULT '0',
`101` TINYINT(4) NULL DEFAULT '0',
`102` TINYINT(4) NULL DEFAULT '0',
... this goes on for 35 times each table
PRIMARY KEY (`CustID`)
)
THIS IS THE LEXICON TABLE
CREATE TABLE `lexicon` (
`Number` INT(3) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
`Date` DATETIME NULL DEFAULT NULL,
`OtherPurtinantInfo` .... etc
)
So I guess instead of making groups of numbers every season for the customers I would prefer being able to use the updated lexicon table to automatically generate a table. My only concerns are that we have many many numbers so that would make a very large table all combined together but perhaps that could be limited into groups automatically as well so that it is not an overwhelming table.
I am not sure if I am being clear enough so feel free to comment on things that need to be clarified.

Answer 1

Here's a normalized ERD, based on what I understand your business requirements to be:
The classifieds run on certain dates, and a given advertisement can be run for more than one classifieds date.
The SQL statements to make the tables:
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `classified_ads` (
`id` INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
);
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `classified_dates` (
`id` INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
`date` DATETIME NOT NULL,
`info` TEXT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
);
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `classified_ad_dates` (
`classified_ad_id` INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
`classifiend_date_id` INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`classified_ad_id`, `classifiend_date_id`),
INDEX `fk_classified_ad_dates_classified_ads1` (`classified_ad_id` ASC),
INDEX `fk_classified_ad_dates_classified_dates1` (`classifiend_date_id` ASC),
CONSTRAINT `fk_classified_ad_dates_classified_ads1`
FOREIGN KEY (`classified_ad_id`)
REFERENCES `classified_ads` (`id`)
ON DELETE CASCADE
ON UPDATE CASCADE,
CONSTRAINT `fk_classified_ad_dates_classified_dates1`
FOREIGN KEY (`classifiend_date_id`)
REFERENCES `classified_dates` (`id`)
ON DELETE CASCADE
ON UPDATE CASCADE
);