# mySQL big array in 1 field, or make new table for each

**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mysql-big-array-in-1-field-or-make-new-table-for-each/193777
**Category:** programming
**Created:** [July 18, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mysql-big-array-in-1-field-or-make-new-table-for-each/193777 "2006-07-18T13:14:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![StarXploser](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/starxploser/32/875_2.png) [@StarXploser](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/StarXploser)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mysql-big-array-in-1-field-or-make-new-table-for-each/193777/1 "2006-07-18T13:14:52Z")

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Hello,  
I posted this message yesterday but it’s not here anymore. Maybe somethinbg happened when kirupa was optimizing the forum last night.

Anyway, my question was:

in a Table called users i have 4 fields:

USERS  
id | name | age | list

there could be thousands of users and as many items in one list, and each list item is UNIQUE(per user) but user can have the same items.

I suggested making a new table called list:  
USERS  
id | name | age

LIST  
id | item

Some one replied to this and said that i was all wrong.  
According to him I should make one list table per user:

USERS  
id | name | age

LIST\_$id(id from USERS.id)  
| item |

it seems weird to me to create so many tables, since there might be multiple thousand users.

However, I trust the answer and will implement it.

But can someone explain the reasonning behind it? Thx a lot  
and thx to the guy who had replied to this post before it was lost in space.