Sql-server – Storing date increments in tables

database-designdatabase-recommendationsql server

I'm working on a ASP/MS SQL project that performs a lot of calculations based on dates and time. In one case, the system will lookup a value based on the nearest half hour increment throughout the day.

When designing the database should I create a lookup table with just the increments, for example: 00:00:00, 00:30:00, 01:00:00, and then create another table with the value and a FK to the hour increments? Or should I include the time increments in another column with the values? Or should I not include the increments and build the business logic within a function or stored procedure?

Best Answer

You can create a time table which stores time in minutes. Then have a column as the foreign key to the record which has got half an hour difference to it. If you need to get half an hour before a time slot and half an hour after it, you will have 2 columns. One referring to the record which has got the half an hour prior value and another has got the half an hour after value. In means the foreign key referenced to the table itself. The table definition would be something like below:

Create Table TimeTbl

(

Id int not null primary key,

TimeValue time not null,

HalfHrBeforeId int null,

HalfHrAfterId int null

)

HalfHrAfter Foreign Key referenced TimeTbl(Id)

HalfHrBeforeId Foreign Key referenced TimeTbl(Id)

In this table you will have:

1, 00:00:00, null, 30

2, 00:01:00, null, 31

...

30, 00:30:00, 1, 60

31, 00:31:00, 2, 61

...

60,01:00:00, 30, 90

...

So if you query this table each includes all time records of a day in minute, you will have foreign key to half an hour before and after and can get and compare their values, to choose the minimum one(the closest half an hour increment).

Related Question