Re: RDBMS design issue

Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

[...]

I.e., no need for
    Mom   BirthMotherTo   Tom  startdate   forever
because EVERY "People" has exactly one birthmother and birthfather
(even if not known)

It gets a bit complicated with transgender relationships.  I know a
young girl who has two mothers for all practical and social purposes.
One of them is her biological father - but it is totally irelevant to
her, and the rest of the world, which one that is.

I presume the problem would also arise with same-sex couples who adopted
a child.  There would be different problems with a heterosexual couple
who adopt an orphan from a war zone where the parents aren't known or
with a single surviving relative who becomes the guardian of an orphaned
child.

If the actual biological relationship is not important, you could use
"Parent1" and "Parent2".  Years ago there were official forms which used
the terminology "Parent or Guardian".



--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
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