With indexes on the right columns, definitely. Tables Answer1, Answer2, Answer3, ... in a database are at least as much a red flag as variables $Answer1, $Answer2, $Answer3, ... in Perl (or any other even remotely sensible programming language). Just as those variables should be made an array and the number an index, those tables should be changed just to a single table and the number made a column.

If you ever find yourself having to maintain a project with tables like that (it doesn't have to be foo1, foo2, ... it can be users_clientname1, users_otherclient, ...) run! Either to kick some butt or to find a new employer. I once had to do a few things in such a project, the number of TABLES in the database was in tens of thousands, insane. And all the butts responsible for that mess were long gone :-[

Jenda
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In reply to Re^7: Feasability of quick generation of complex report from large db? by Jenda
in thread Feasability of quick generation of complex report from large db? by punch_card_don

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