Magento - possible to have multiple tables for a single model?

Question

trying to set up a config file for a custom module - do I need to have a unique model for each 'resourceModel', or is it possible to have multiple table entities per model?

Is it possible to get something like this to work:

    <config>...
 <model>
  <namespace>
    <class>Namespace_Module_Model</class>
    <resourceModel>module_mysq4</resourceModel>
  </namespace>
  <module_mysql4>
   <class>Namespace_Module_Model_Mysql4</class>
    <entities>
        <table_1>
            <table>table_1</table>
        </table_1>
        <table_2>
            <table>table_2</table>
        </table_2>
        <table_3>
            <table>table_3</table>
        </table_3>
        ...
    </entities>
   </module_mysql4>
..</config>

and then dynamically switch between the tables through the model?

and related: Anyone know what the possible children of the are and their properites? I've seen 'entities', 'associations' and 'items' - thx

Answer 1

Thx for the response & apologies if the question was unclear. After a few hours of debugging, I have it working with the following structure:

<models>
  <modulename>
   <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model</class>
   <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4</resourceModel>
  </modulename>
  <modulename_type1>
   <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Type1</class>
   <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4</resourceModel>
  </modulename_type1>
   <modulename_type2>
   <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Type2</class>
   <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4</resourceModel>
  </modulename_type2>
  <modulename_mysql4>
   <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Mysql4</class>
   <entities>
    <modulename>
     <table>modulename</table>
    </modulename>
     <modulename_type1>
     <table>modulename_type1</table>
    </modulename_type1>
     <modulename__type2>
     <table>modulename_type2</table>
    </modulename_type2>
   </entities>
  </modulename_mysql4>

 </models>

So yes - there is a single table entity for each model declared (one model, one resource) but I would have assumed that each additional model/resourceModel combination would require it's own separate Model_Mysql class in it's own modulename_mysql4 node, ala:

<models>
 <modulename>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model</class>
  <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4</resourceModel>
 </modulename>
 <modulename_type1>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Type1</class>
  <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4_type1</resourceModel>
 </modulename_type1>
  <modulename_type2>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Type2</class>
  <resourceModel>modulename_mysql4_type2</resourceModel>
 </modulename_type2>
 <modulename_mysql4>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Mysql4</class>
  <entities>
   <modulename>
    <table>modulename</table>
   </modulename>
  </entities>
 </modulename_mysql4>
 <modulename_mysql4_type1>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Mysql4_Type1</class>
  <entities>
    <modulename_type1>
    <table>modulename_type1</table>
   </modulename_type1>
  </entities>
 </modulename_mysql4_type1>
 <modulename_mysql4_type2>
  <class>Namespace_Modulename_Model_Mysql_Type2</class>
  <entities>
    <modulename_type2>
    <table>modulename_type2</table>
   </modulename_type2>
  </entities>
 </modulename_mysql4_type2>
</models>

but that is not the case. Would love to hear a play by play explanation. Thx for the help!