[Rt-devel] Why does ObjectCustomFieldValues store Select values' names rather than IDs?

[Jesse Vincent]

On Tue, Oct 11, 2005 at 12:05:28PM -0700, Jim Meyer wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> [This is in a 3.4.x instance; I've not verified this in a 3.5.x instance
>  as yet, but will do so later this week]
> 
> The subject says it all. I don't understand why, for Select-type CFs,
> selection names are stored as text in the Content column of the OCFV
> table rather than as the selection's CustomFieldValues ID.

Because otherwise it becomes basically impossible to switch select
custom fields to entry custom fields. And the search logic would get
even more complex. We debated long and hard about this one.  I'd
certainly love to see a proposed patch to make it easier to rename
values sanely.

Note also that with the current scheme, if you have a "Department"
custom field and start renaming values in 1949, such that "War" becomes
"Defense", you'll have tickets which claim their department was
"Defense" way back in 1920. Which will play hell with your internal
auditing.

Jesse