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I'm trying to store/represent a list in a database.

I need this list to be 'fully persisted', however. I don't want it to be stored as a 'bag of items', but rather an ordered group.

Other people have certainly done what I'm trying. The linked post indeed has some clever solutions.

Anyone have a name for this concept / pattern, though? Fully persisted list?

I'm trying to find the best solution to it for my case, but I'm being slowed down because it's hard to search for something so vague.

Also if anyone has any other links relevant to the idea, I'd greatly appreciate it - I've had trouble finding relevant info.

EDIT:

List of relevant questions for reference

zxcv
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    SQL tables represent UNORDERED sets. There is no ordering unless you add it iin. – Gordon Linoff Mar 05 '20 at 16:19
  • You are talking about relational representation of a "list". There are many ways to say that & questions about representing them. PS Always google any error message or many clear, concise & precise phrasings of your question/problem/goal, with & without your particular strings/names & site:stackoverflow.com & tags; read many answers. If you post a question, use one phrasing as title. See [ask] & the voting arrow mouseover texts. – philipxy Mar 05 '20 at 21:16
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    Does this answer your question? [Best representation of an ordered list in a database?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9536262/best-representation-of-an-ordered-list-in-a-database) – philipxy Mar 05 '20 at 21:17
  • That's a great link, thank you! I would think the answer to my question would be, "there is no single definitive name for this concept", but both your link and Eric Brandt's answer are good references for some of the names used for it. – zxcv Mar 05 '20 at 21:36

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To Gordon's point in the comments, within the database the data is, by definition, unordered.

With that in mind, the concept that you're trying to put a name to is most often referred to as either "display order" or "presentation order", and the challenge is maintaining that column in the data set during (or immediately following) CRUD operations.

Eric Brandt
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