What are the advantages of using a separate table for a 1:n or n:m relationship in PHP database design?

When dealing with 1:n or n:m relationships in PHP database design, it is beneficial to use a separate table to properly represent the relationship between entities. This approach helps in organizing the data more efficiently, ensures data integrity, and allows for easier querying and manipulation of the related data. 

// Example of creating a separate table for a 1:n relationship in PHP database design

// Create a table for storing the relationship between entities
CREATE TABLE user_roles (
    user_id INT,
    role_id INT,
    PRIMARY KEY(user_id, role_id),
    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id),
    FOREIGN KEY (role_id) REFERENCES roles(id)
);

// Inserting data into the user_roles table
INSERT INTO user_roles (user_id, role_id) VALUES (1, 1);
INSERT INTO user_roles (user_id, role_id) VALUES (1, 2);
INSERT INTO user_roles (user_id, role_id) VALUES (2, 2);

Keywords

database design PHP 1:n relationship n:m relationship separate table

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