Rails Database Design: Use strings or integer?

Question

Suppose I have a rails tables containing information chosen from a set number of options. For example, a field named sex could be either Male or Female. A field named Bodytype will be either slim, curvy, etc. My question is, what is better practice, to store those values as integers or strings? In the first case, of course, the integers will be converted into text (In the controller?).

Thanks for all your help.

Answer 1

If are you are not storing millions of records, storing them as strings is fine. What you are loosing is ability to quickly update these categories, but if they are pretty much static and not going to change over time, it shouldn't matter. Sex should probably be called gender and Bodytype body_type.