Dynamic searchable fields, best practice?

I have a Lexicon model, and I want user to be able to create dynamic
feature to every lexicon.

And I have a complicate search interface that let user search on every
single feature (including the dynamic ones) belonged to Lexicon model.

I could have used a serialized text field to save all the dynamic
information if they are not for searching.

In case I want to let user search on all fields, I have created a
DynamicField Model to hold all dynamically created features.

But imagine I have 1,000,000,000 lexicon, and if one create a dynamic
feature for every lexicon, this will result creating 1,000,000,000
rows in DynamicField model.

So the sql search function will become quite inefficient while a lot
of dynamic features created.

Is there a better solution for this situation?

Which way should I take?

  1. searching for a better db design for dynamic fields

  2. try to tuning mysql(add cache fields, add index …) with current
    db design

hi,

im trying to integrate a “ajax-chat” into my app. within the page where
the user post a chatmessage runs a periodically_call_remote to update
the message.
now, before this happens, the user needs to create a “room” first. now
my idea was that the controller could just do a replace_html, which
would b a div in the application-layout. but this doesnt work. if im
looged in from a different browser, i dont see that update.
clearly, im doing something “different here”.
how would u do that, or any advise?

thx

boblu wrote:

I have a Lexicon model, and I want user to be able to create dynamic
feature to every lexicon.

And I have a complicate search interface that let user search on every
single feature (including the dynamic ones) belonged to Lexicon model.

I could have used a serialized text field to save all the dynamic
information if they are not for searching.

You might still want to. Perhaps you can write a routine that writes
SQL queries that search through the YAML in the serialized field. It’s
annoying, perhaps, but better than the alternative.

In case I want to let user search on all fields, I have created a
DynamicField Model to hold all dynamically created features.

But imagine I have 1,000,000,000 lexicon, and if one create a dynamic
feature for every lexicon, this will result creating 1,000,000,000
rows in DynamicField model.

So the sql search function will become quite inefficient while a lot
of dynamic features created.

That doesn’t follow. You’d have to search through a billion lexicon
regardless. Joining another table shouldn’t decrease the efficiency too
much, I think

Is there a better solution for this situation?

Which way should I take?

  1. searching for a better db design for dynamic fields

  2. try to tuning mysql(add cache fields, add index …) with current
    db design

Your best bet here is probably 3: use a non-SQL database such as CouchDB
or MongoDB. If you do decide to stick with an SQL database, I recommend
PostgreSQL – it will probably deal better with your big tables.

Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser
http://www.marnen.org
[email protected]

[Please quote when replying. This is a mailing list, not just a Web
forum.]

boblu wrote:

Thank you for the detailed reply.

I will have a research on mongoDB.
And I am wonderring is there a way to integrate mongoDB with rails?

Yes.

Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser
http://www.marnen.org
[email protected]

Tom T. wrote:

hi,

im trying to integrate a “ajax-chat” into my app. within the page where
the user post a chatmessage runs a periodically_call_remote to update
the message.
now, before this happens, the user needs to create a “room” first. now
my idea was that the controller could just do a replace_html, which
would b a div in the application-layout. but this doesnt work. if im
looged in from a different browser, i dont see that update.
clearly, im doing something “different here”.
how would u do that, or any advise?

thx

Stop hijacking other people’s threads! Learn to create a new topic for
new questions.

Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser
http://www.marnen.org
[email protected]

Thank you for the detailed reply.

I will have a research on mongoDB.
And I am wonderring is there a way to integrate mongoDB with rails?