[Pc_Support] offtopic / database schema -- COSINE/X.500 and modern LDAP schema ...

[Jason Boxman]

Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> On Wed, 2006-08-16 at 04:16 -0400, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
>> The more "modern" implementation used by most LDAP solutions today comes
>> from IETF RFC2256:
>>   http://www.apps.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2256.html
>> And a focus on the schema for an "Internet Person" in IETF RFC2798:
>>   http://www.apps.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2798.html
>
> BTW, what code are you going to be setting up tables with?  Accessing
> via?  Etc...???

"For the purposes of this question, I'm not especially interested in
normalization related issues.  Whether I keep the physical address
information in the same table as a user's name or it's referenced using a
foreign key shouldn't have much impact on the appropriate length of the
fields.  (Except it does, but I'd like to ignore data size issues as related
to the amount of storage consumed.)

"My task ought to be fairly commom.  Unique invidivuals with vastly unique
addresses, phone numbers, and other contact information will create
accounts.  These people may exchange currency in the form of U.S. dollars
for service.  I may need to mail each customer information in return.  I
need columns robust enough that I can accurately and confidently store
information necessary to mail these customers, in the event that is
necessary, on a per user basis.

"I had hoped there would be some basic guideslines for the above
web-store-style address collection task.

"Moreover, I'd like to be able to robustly store several contact phone
numbers including possible international numbers.

"I'd wing it, but this isn't a situation where I feel comfortable taking a
best guess as to what field lengths should be -- especially so when this has
been dozen 1,000s of times before, I would think.

"Certainly, the degree of normalization will vary depending on my specific
application, but I think I can handle that part.  It's column lengths and
related discussion about properly parsing addressing, phone, and first name,
last name, and so forth I seek.  (Is there some best practice for properly
capitalizing names?  Do you just store it all UPPER'd or lower'd?)"

The backend is the PostgreSQL RDBMS.  I'll be accessing it via Ruby and the
Rails framework.  The output target will be, obviously, a Web browser.

Mostly I just didn't want to badly choose column sizes and get bitten by it
later.