i'm designing table. 1 field apparently can have either numeric input or text input (e.g., 700 or 789.0123, or trump or clinton), depending on subject matter of application.
would better store numeric inputs varchar text (e.g., "700.0000" or "789.0123" formatted 4 decimal places (or other common number of decimal places) in same field obvious text input (trump or clinton), or better have 2 fields , have several applications (and applications programmers) direct data appropriate field?
what meaning or definition of field, , it?
a field can either "trump" or "789" raises alarm bells me sounding using single field hold totally different data.
if field like, "identifier of uploaded document", , user gives text description, , gives dewey decimal code book, it's fine.
but if definition like, "when record type 1, state record , field name of candidate won primary, when record type 4 precinct record , field number of registered voters in precinct", can ... don't. make 2 separate fields.
what advantage there combining 2 complete different fields one? save having add field table? it's going cause sorts of difficulty. if ever need sort numeric value or range check, it's not going work, because of course number 780 > 82 string '780' < '82', etc. can't arithmetic on varchar field: '780' + 23 either error or '78023', depending on flavor of sql. , human beings trying make sense of code ... call field?
i don't know application. it's possible makes sense in context. perhaps if told field represents make sense. looks suspicious.
