[eluser]brent.fontaine[/eluser]
I looked around, and now, I'm not entirely sure what it is that I am looking for, so please excuse my ignorance.
I have a datamapper object defined as "Individual". The MySQL table has a unique ID, Given Names, Family Name, Birth Date. Everything works great between other models and relationships.
In the case of some individuals, they can get married, and have an alias. ie: Jane Doe is also known as Jane Smith. I want to keep record of both names, and still be able to search for either name. I also need to differentiate between the two, so I know which name matches the individual's birth certificate.
I was thinking about creating another object called "alias", as it is not a reserved name. I could easily set up a relationship, but this seems like using a sledgehammer to swat a fly. It would also make searching a bit more difficult.
Here's my question:
What is the most efficient way of handling this? Is it best to set up a join-table, and having a get-rule that always queries that table? Is it better to store a serialized array in the "Family Name" and "Given Names" fields? Does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks in advance.