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POStoring a Meta-Database
 

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    <p>I'm at somewhat of a disagreement with a fellow colleague on this issue. First and foremost, the environment (guaranteed, will not change):</p> <ul> <li>SQL Server 2008 R2</li> <li>ASP.NET MVC 3</li> <li>C#</li> </ul> <p>And now, the scenario: I am working on an application which will give users the ability to collect input from users and store it for later reporting purposes. The methods of collecting input are in various types of controls they can place on the page. Collecting the data is not the issue; storing it is.</p> <p><strong>Database Within A Database</strong></p> <p>I follow the notion that it should be stored as a collection of key-value pairs (in this example, a table called <code>ResponseItems</code>):</p> <pre><code>+----------+----------+----+-----+ |ResponseId|FormItemId|Name|Value| +----------+----------+----+-----+ </code></pre> <p>Where the <code>ResponseId</code> and <code>FormItemId</code> form the primary key, the <code>ResponseId</code> relating to a <code>Response</code> table, as such:</p> <pre><code>+----------+------+------+-------------+ |ResponseId|FormId|UserId|SubmittedDate| +----------+------+------+-------------+ </code></pre> <p>And the <code>FormItemId</code> relating to a <code>FormItem</code> table:</p> <pre><code>+----------+------+----+-----------------+ |FormItemId|FormId|Type|InstantiationData| +----------+------+----+-----------------+ </code></pre> <p>Where <code>FormId</code> is the same as the <code>FormId</code> in the <code>Response</code> table, referencing a <code>Form</code> table, which is not as important to illustrate.</p> <p><strong>XML Serialization</strong></p> <p>I get back in response that serializing the form components and responses as XML makes more sense, such that it requires less bulk in terms of tables, leaving only a Form table:</p> <pre><code>+------+--------+ |FormId|Elements| +------+--------+ </code></pre> <p>and all instantiation data is stored within the XML data for each form element in the <code>Elements</code>. The responses are then similarly recorded:</p> <pre><code>+----------+------+-------------+----------------+ |ResponseId|UserId|SubmittedDate|ResponseElements| +----------+------+-------------+----------------+ </code></pre> <p><strong>The Short Question After The Long Preface</strong></p> <p>I think the first idea is cleaner and easier to report on. What do you think?</p> <p>As a final note, there are more tables to this, for both sides, as the forms are to be versioned for every time a user edits the form.</p>
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    1. COPersonally, I'm partial to the XML storage :) SQL Server 2008 handles XML really well and so does C#. For what you are trying to achieve, I think XML is more suited than a database. The database is just storing your XML for you....though, I am admittedly biased to this opinion.
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    2. COIndeed you are biased to this. As well you know how much more complex this is than just this simplified layout. :)
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    3. COYes, I am very well aware of the complexity of the project...I'm looking forward to seeing some of the suggestions from the SO community.
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