Is there a db design standard of using different table for different data type?

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Recently, I encountered relational databases where each data type has their own data table. for e.g. for string - TableVarchar, number - TableNumber etc.

I saw 2 survey database based on this same structure. not able to understand why would someone design the database like this. searched google for standard, but couldn't find any lead.

Anyone knows whether this is a standard way to solve a particular problem?

Update 1: 17-Sept-2018 - I am kind of probably found the right reason why the database was maintained like this. this database structure could be used for many small size applications without writing a single line of code for data access layer and database.
It can be used for any type of web application i.e. survey, audit, employee management, invoice, e-com, any kind of management web app but SMALL ones.

This db structure might be used by small freelance companies and team to ship their client app in very quick time, just build a front-end app and you are done. copy-paste data access layer and table structure and your whole back end ready.

Hope this would be helpful to others.

What I have tried:

searched google for standard, but couldn't find any lead.

Posted 27-Aug-18 19:13pm

girishmeena

Updated 28-Sep-18 4:27am

v2

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Richard MacCutchan 28-Aug-18 5:06am

Database tables should be content related, not data type related. For example having all customer names in a string table, and all their account numbers in a number table, would make no sense. How would their details be connected?

Richard Deeming 28-Aug-18 14:08pm

Sounds like they were using an Entity-Attribute-Value[^] model.

In most cases, that's a poor choice.

Jörgen Andersson 3-Sep-18 2:14am

To little information to say, but it could be someone experimenting with a Columnstore index. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/indexes/columnstore-indexes-overview?view=sql-server-2017.

2 solutions

Solution 1

Quote:
Is there a db design standard of using different table for different data type?

Databases design is more than the structure of data, its usage matters too.
Example:
- your company have a databases of orders. 1 table look enough.
But you have a process that continuously need to know active orders because it try to reduce waste (steel beam stock cutting).
Chances are that continuously filtering the global database to active orders will be more resources hungry than handling a secondary database with only active orders.
In this case, duplicating data tables will be more efficient because of the usage.

Other considerations can enter into account.

Posted 27-Aug-18 20:40pm

Patrice T

v2

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girishmeena · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-28T04:28:00

I am kind of probably found the right reason why the database was maintained like this. this database structure could be used for many small size applications without writing a single line of code for data access layer and database.
It can be used for any type of web application i.e. survey, audit, employee management, invoice, e-com, any kind of management web app but SMALL ones.

This DB structure might be used by small freelance companies and team to ship their client app in very quick time, just build a front-end app and you are done. copy-paste data access layer and table structure and your whole back end ready.