Best way to embded an array of strings into a column in SQL Server 2008

Question

I am writing a print dispatch queue that passes the following for each row:

String Name
String TemplateName
String[] dynamicTextFields

Other that doing a 1:m table for dynamic text fields, how would I include my Array/List of strings in a single row's cell?

Why don't you want to use a separate table with 1 to many relationship? — Szymon
– Szymon, Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 23:14
I could, I am simply looking for an alternative. In Postgresql you can do this a number of ways. — benstpierre
– benstpierre, Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 23:16
Well, this is way the best option in SQL Server. I wouldn't be personally looking at anything else. — Szymon
– Szymon, Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 23:20

Szymon · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-05 23:27:22Z

2

In SQL Server, the best way is a properly normalised separate table in 1 to many relationship.

Any other solution (which would invariably be storing a list in some format (XML, JSON, whatever) in a single column is inferior to that in terms of performance as well as maintainability and clarity of your design.

answered Mar 5, 2014 at 23:27

Szymon

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