# Dynamic searchable fields, best practice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458 "2010-05-12T11:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/1 "2010-05-12T11:12:36Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/2 "2010-05-12T13:02:04Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/3 "2010-05-12T14:33:53Z")
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](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/4 "2010-05-12T16:23:58Z")
[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](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/5 "2010-05-12T16:24:35Z")
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](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@boblu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boblu)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-searchable-fields-best-practice/188458/6 "2010-05-12T16:14:42Z")
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?