Arrays in SQL server

I am creating an application for booking events. Each event has several dates and each date has a fixed amount of available seats.

Currently in the events table I have a field for the number of available seats and a field for the string of dates that are later parsed into a listbox control.

The problem with my current setup is each date is sharing the same number of available seats so if date Event A is decemented 10 so will Event B.

I need some way to associate each date with it's own number of available seats. What is the best way to do this? An array? If so how do I store an array in the DB?

Thanks, Justin.::I need some way to associate each date with it's own number of available seats. What is
::the best way to do this? An array?

By NO means.

The best way is to apply proper standard procedures for REALATIONAL databases. There is something called "normalization", which, btw., is explained in EVERY beginner book about databases.

Som ,y advice is: your best way is to shell out some money and read a ookabout how a database works. Something simple, like "SQL for Dummies".

You will end up with multiple tables, and an event being on multiple occations will have multiple entries, one for every date.

This:

::and a field for the string of dates that are later parsed into a listbox control.

is something that you better make sure your boss does not see. I would terminate everyone doing something like this immediately for gross incompetence in 99.99% of the cases. The relational model is VERY clear with how things like this should be modelled, and has been so for the last 30-sth years. Your model is denormalized and it is sure you run into trouble.

Really, get a beginner book about databases.|||As Thona states - Normalization is the key.
when you build a denormalized database, your asking for trouble.

With limited knowledge of what your trying to accomplish, I would envision a structure more like this...

tblEvent
--EventId (autonumber)
--EventDescription

tblEventInstance
--EventInstanceId (autonumber)
--EventId (integer)
--EventDate (date/time)
--EventSeats (integer)

tblEventSignUp
--EventInstanceId (integer)
--Person

etc...

anytime you're packing multiple pieces of data into a single column you gotta ask yourself "why?"