Posted by Paul Lautman on 01/09/07 16:16

SqlDope wrote:
> "Paul Lautman" <paul.lautman@btinternet.com> wrote in message
> news:50hhroF1frfrvU1@mid.individual.net...
>> SqlDope wrote:
>>> Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me
>>> My Table
>>> ID Sunames Inscription
>>> typical entrys
>>> ID 10
>>> Surnames @ABBOTT@JONES@
>>> rem the @ is there so that I can select a whole word and not get
>>> ABBOT Inscription John ABBOTT died 10 june 1857 also his sister
>>> mary JONES died 16 may 1868
>>>
>>> my query
>>> if ($soundex==exact)
>>> $query="Select * FROM paupers WHERE surnames LIKE '%@$name@%'"
>>> else
>>> $query="Select * FROM paupers WHERE soundex(surnames) LIKE
>>> '%@(soundex($name))@%'"
>>>
>>> the first part -- LIKE '%@$name@%' works fine
>>> but I can`t get the syntax for the soundex bit right
>>> any help appreciated
>>> Regards
>>
>> You should not put lots of surnames in a single record. Each surname
>> should occupy its own single field in a single record.
> Hi Paul,
> I understand your point there but in this case I need to have up to 5
> surnames in a string in surnames field, these are the surnames in that
> particular inscription
> other wise I would have to have 5 surname fields -- surname1 surname2
> .... and then do a seperate select on each surname field
> Regards

Please do not top post!

No you DO NOT need to have 5 surnames in a single field. And I did NOT say
that you should have 5 surname fields. I very carefully said that you should
have each surname in a SINGLE field in a SINGLE record. You can then tie 5
or as many of those records as you like together with a common foreign key.

It is called database normalisation.

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