Storing a Value in MySQL

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I want to store a value in an online mysql database. It's a yes/no field. What is best and least problimatic? Saved as a boolean 0/-1. As a String yes/no or an integer 0/1. Thanks

Posted 2-Aug-11 14:45pm

Member 7766180

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2 solutions

Solution 1

My take is that it really depends on your design. If you want to do some conversion on your application, then boolean would make sense. Otherwise, as long as your validation is handled well on the app, why not store it as a string? I believe it would not hurt, in terms of the size that it will consume on your database.

Posted 2-Aug-11 15:00pm

walterhevedeich

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Member 7766180 2-Aug-11 21:56pm

I thought that I read in an earlier post that storing a string is bad.

walterhevedeich 2-Aug-11 22:15pm

What post?

Member 7766180 2-Aug-11 22:50pm

On another question that I had asked. Can't remember which one.

Dr.Walt Fair, PE 2-Aug-11 22:53pm

A string potentially uses more storage, etc. Whether it is a problem or not depends on what you are going to do with the value. Personally I've usually used booleans for yes/no fields wherever possible to avoid confusion.

Member 7766180 3-Aug-11 11:09am

There is no application so to speak, it's runnibg in console mode and all I need is for it to return a 1 or a 0 to trigger the next event.

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rick at abc · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-02T17:26:00

Your going to have to convert everything anyway.
The fields in the table in this example would be

SQL

varchar(some length)
tinyint(1)
int(your choice)

I've had the best results as below

Hope this helps......

C#

public bool AddNewRecordInSomeTable(string sSomeString, bool bSomeBool, int iSomeNumber)
{
	bool bReturn = false;
        
	// make sure your db is open
        if (DbConn.State != ConnectionState.Open)
        	DbConn.Open();

        string sqlIns = "INSERT INTO YOUR_TABLE (fieldString, fieldBool, fieldNumber) +
                        " VALUES " +
                        "(@fieldString, @fieldBool, @fieldNumber)";

            try
            {
                MySqlCommand cmdIns = new MySqlCommand(sqlIns, DbConn);

                cmdIns.Parameters.AddWithValue("@fieldString", sSomeString.Trim());
                cmdIns.Parameters.AddWithValue("@fieldBool", bSomeBool);
                cmdIns.Parameters.AddWithValue("@fieldNumber", iSomeNumber);
                
                cmdIns.ExecuteNonQuery();

                cmdIns.Parameters.Clear();
                cmdIns.Dispose();
                cmdIns = null;

                bReturn = true;
            }
            catch (MySqlException e)
            {
                // Send the error to your error handler    e.ToString();
                bReturn = false;
            }

            if (DbConn.State == ConnectionState.Open)
                DbConn.Close();

            return (bReturn);
        }
}


public bool GetFirstTableRecordWhereBoolIsTrue(ref string sSomeString, bool bTheBoolValue, ref int iSomeNumber)
{
	bool bFound = false;

        if (DbConn.State != ConnectionState.Open)
	        DbConn.Open();

        try
        {
                string sql = "SELECT * FROM YOUR_TABLE";
                MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand(sql, DbConn);

                MySqlDataReader rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();

                while (rdr.Read())
                {
                   bTheBoolValue = Convert.ToBoolean(rdr[1]);

                   if(bTheBoolValue)
                      bFound = true;
		   sSomeString = rdr[0].ToString();
                   iSomeNumber = Convert.ToInt32(rdr[2]);
                                        
                   break;
                }
                rdr.Close();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Send the error to your error handler    e.ToString();
                bFound = false;
            }

            if (DbConn.State == ConnectionState.Open)
                DbConn.Close();

            return (bFound);
        }