saving tree data in database (family tree) - mysql

Question

I am trying to store a family tree.
Here is the platform that I am using, Zend framework, Mysql, Ajax
I have searched stackoverflow I came across this post which is very helpful in handling data in terms of objects.
"Family Tree" Data Structure
I'll Illustrate my use case in brief.
User can create family members or friends based on few relations defined in database. I have Model for relations too. User can create family members like Divorced spouse, frineds. Max the Tree can be deep that we are assuming max to kids of the grandchildren but it can expand in width too. Brother/sister & their family.
I am looking an efficient database design for lesser query time. If I have to use the data structures described in above post where I must keep them as they necessary have to be a Model.
For representation I am planning to use Visualization: Organizational Chart from
http://code.google.com/apis/chart/interactive/docs/gallery/orgchart.html#Example
I'll summarize what I need
Database design
Placing of controllers (ajax) & models
The people that the user will create they will not be any other users. just some another data
yeah thats it! I'll post a complete solution on this thread when I'll be completing the project, of course with help of expertise of u guys
Thanks in advance
EDIT I I'll Contribute more to elaborate my situation
I have a user table, a relation table, & last family/family tree table
the Family table must have similar structure to following
ID userid relation id Name
1 34 3 // for son ABC
2 34 4 // for Wife XYZ
3 34 3 // for Mom PQR
4 34 3 // for DAd THE
5 34 3 // for Daughter GHI
6 34 3 // for Brother KLM
The drawback for this approach is generating relations to the other nodes like daughter-in-law, wifes brother & their family.
The ideal way of doing is for a user we can add Parents, siblings, children & for extra relations they must be derived from the family members relation i.e. Brother-in-law must be derived as sister's husband, or wife's brother.
THis is what I can think now. I just need Implementation guidelines.
Hope this helps u guys to provide a better solution.

Answer 1

I guess that from the database point of view it would be best to implement it like
id | name | parent_male | parent_female
Other option would be string prefixing
id | name | prefix
1 | Joe | 0001
2 | Jack | 000100001 //ie. Joes son
3 | Marry| 0001 //ie. Jacks mother
4 | Eve | 0002 // new family tree
5 | Adam | 00020001 // ie. Eves son
6 | Mark | 000200010001 // ie. Adams son
Other (more effective) algorithms like MPTT assume that the data is a tree, which in this case is not (it has circles).
To show it would work - to select Mark's grandparents:
--Mark
SELECT prefix FROM family_tree WHERE id = 6;
-- create substring - trim N 4-character groups from the end where N is N-th parent generation => 2 for grandparent ==> 0002
--grandparents
SELECT * FROM family_tree WHERE prefix = '0002'
-- same for other side of family
-- cousins from one side of family
SELECT * FROM family_tree WHERE prefix LIKE '0002%' AND LENGTH(prefix) = 12