What are the advantages and disadvantages of using sets in MySQL for permission management in PHP?

Issue: When managing permissions in PHP with MySQL, using sets can be a convenient way to store and manage permissions for users. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to consider when using sets for permission management. Advantages: 1. Sets allow for easy storage and retrieval of multiple permissions for a user in a single column. 2. Sets provide a simple way to query and check for specific permissions for a user. 3. Sets can help reduce the complexity of permission management code in PHP. Disadvantages: 1. Sets can be difficult to work with when trying to query or update specific permissions within the set. 2. Sets may not be as flexible or scalable as using a separate permissions table with a many-to-many relationship. 3. Sets can lead to potential data integrity issues if permissions are not properly managed and updated. PHP Code Snippet:

// Assuming we have a users table with a permissions column of type SET
// Connect to MySQL database
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Get permissions for a specific user
$user_id = 1;
$query = "SELECT permissions FROM users WHERE id = ?";
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare($query);
$stmt->bind_param("i", $user_id);
$stmt->execute();
$stmt->bind_result($permissions);
$stmt->fetch();

// Check if user has a specific permission
$required_permission = "edit_post";
if (in_array($required_permission, explode(",", $permissions))) {
    echo "User has permission to edit posts";
} else {
    echo "User does not have permission to edit posts";
}

$stmt->close();
$mysqli->close();