Allowing multi-element user defined custom data

We are creating a phonebook application which allows users to add custom
data to each entry, in the form of a (name):(value) pair. The users should
be able to add names of custom data types to a look-up table, and then be
able to add data values of that "type" to any entry in the phonebook. The
data will be saved as nvarchar.
However, we now realize some of this custom data will have to be made up
of several data elements in itself. For example: If the users want to add
the data type "address at in-law's", this custom data will be more than just
(name):(long string value), it will have to be (name):((street)(city)(state)(zipcode)).
We have several ideas on how to do this but they all seem cumbersome, and
they complicate the design a lot. Has anyone created a system like this before?
Is there a tried and true way of doing this?Hi
Have you thought of using XML for this?
John
"Ido Kalir" wrote:
> We are creating a phonebook application which allows users to add custom
> data to each entry, in the form of a (name):(value) pair. The users should
> be able to add names of custom data types to a look-up table, and then be
> able to add data values of that "type" to any entry in the phonebook. The
> data will be saved as nvarchar.
> However, we now realize some of this custom data will have to be made up
> of several data elements in itself. For example: If the users want to add
> the data type "address at in-law's", this custom data will be more than just
> (name):(long string value), it will have to be (name):((street)(city)(state)(zipcode)).
> We have several ideas on how to do this but they all seem cumbersome, and
> they complicate the design a lot. Has anyone created a system like this before?
> Is there a tried and true way of doing this?
>