PHP & MySQL - Which variable type best for this array?

Question

Question: Stated in title

Project: My PHP Mafia/Mobsters Strategy Game

Reason for Asking: I'm unsure how I would word this question into a somewhat relevant Google search.

I would like to know which MySql variable type I should use for an array. I will explode this array into an ID list including all people in that players mob.

EXAMPLE MYSQL DATA BELOW:

PlayerId -------- Mob //Lables

134 ------------- '23','59','12','53','801' //Values

This will then be exploded using explode() in PHP into a bunch of ints containing the IDS of players in that persons mob.

I would like the mob field to have an unlimited character length so that players can have HUGEE mobs.

I think I may be able to simply use longtext or the set type but I'm not completely sure. I don't want any errors later on once I release the game and I want my methods to stay clean and correct.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I hope you can help. :)

Is doing an n-to-m relation out of the question? Or actually, 1-to-n might suffice, seeing that one player can only be in one mob, right? That way, you could make the database do the heavy lifting for you. — Grüse
– Grüse, Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 8:22
@Grüse: It appears to me that, far from "one player only being in one mob", PlayerId 134 above is in five mobs. — eggyal
– eggyal, Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 8:50
@eggyal: You're right, I seem to have misunderstood the concept of a Mafia mob membership and its seemingly non-exclusive nature ;) — Grüse
– Grüse, Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 16:57

eggyal · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-20 08:24:03Z

5

You should create a table that associates players with mobs:

 CREATE TABLE PlayerMobs (
   PlayerId INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
   MobId    INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
   FOREIGN KEY (PlayerID) REFERENCES Players (PlayerID),
   FOREIGN KEY (MobID)    REFERENCES Mobs    (MobID)
);

And then join it with your other tables in queries as required.

I have added FOREIGN KEY constraints to ensure that only valid PlayerID and MobID values exist in the PlayerMobs table, but note that these constraints currently only work with the InnoDB storage engine.

answered Nov 20, 2012 at 8:24

eggyal

127k18 gold badges221 silver badges245 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Grüse Over a year ago

Exactly, or - if a player can only be in one mob at any given time - you could add a "MobId" column in your Player table that saves this player's mob allegiance.

viral Pathak · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-09 09:07:05Z

0

You can try

 CREATE TABLE PlayerMobs (
 PlayerId INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
 MobId   Text UNSIGNED NOT NULL);

answered Apr 9, 2013 at 9:07

viral Pathak

1094 bronze badges

Comments

Alex Benoit · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-26 01:09:23Z

0

I did this a very long time ago, but I happened to come across the question when browsing through my account.

There aren't any specific "mobs." Your "mob" is basically like a friends list. It's not a group. It's just a bunch of people connected to you.

I believe I simply made a row for "mob members" and just put the other players ids, separated by commas, then in the PHP I exploded the string with a comma as the delimiter.

answered Feb 26, 2014 at 1:09

Alex Benoit

1052 silver badges9 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

PHP & MySQL - Which variable type best for this array?

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related