Re: comments on database format

[Wade Hampton <whampton@staffnet.com>]

Jason Pincin wrote:
> 
> > I am looking at the database format and have a few comments:
> 
> Thanks for your comments and questions Wade.  I'll do my best to answer - if you feel I don't
> answer well enough, please tell me.
OK.  Glad I could be of some help.  Once I get access to CVS, I'll try
to
look at some of the php and maybe write a few articles.
> 
> > 1.  In the article table, should there be a version number?
> >     Such a verison could be MM.mm.ff or 6 digits???
> >     MM -- major, mm -- minor, ff -- minor edits
> >     This would be useful HOWTO's, etc.
> 
> I am implimenting revision control for ALL objects - this includes articles as well as
> containers, users, etc.  Basicly, you can see how an object was at any given point in the past,
> or roll the object back to one of those states very easily.  Obviously, there will be a cap of
> how far back we can store an object, but this will be configurable easily, probably by object if
> need be.
> 
> It will be handled outside of the actual object's table.
Should the table contain the latest version number, e.g., the ?  Also,
are you using
RCS/CVS?  The version number could be the ID from RCS?
> 
> > 2.  Should there be an article history (even if not visible
> >     to the end user)?  For example, a link in the article table
> >     to a previous version of the article in a "prior article"
> >     table.  When updating an article, one would copy the existing
> >     to the prior table then update the article table entry?
> >     This could be an update option (keep prior article or
> >     don't keep it)?
> 
> Your talking a little like what I'll be doin for object history's as I explained above.
> 
> > 3.  Should the article-user cross-reference contain a
> >     field with values like "author", "contributor",
> >     "maintainer", "referenced", etc?
> 
> Um... is article-user-xref still there?  That table should be removed.  Sorry.  It'll be handled
> via the ObjectChileLink table or whatever I called that.  Users will just be linked in as child's
> of an article to make them an author.
> 
> BUT - you do raise a VERY valid point concerning the possible need to differentiate between
> author, contributer, maintainer, etc.  I noticed the LDP guys even made room for this in there
> XML spec.  I'll have to give soe thought to that... I don't have an answer right now for it, but
> lemme get back to you.


Great.  
> 
> > 4.  Should the database contain a new table for comments
> >     or followup on articles?  If so, should the role table
> >     contain a permission bit to allow the posting of
> >     comments or followup info?  For example, someone could
> >     write an article and another could provide comments
> >     or system-specific suggestions for it????
> 
> Yes... there will be a new table (and thus new object type) created for comments.  However - the
> Roles table will be disapperaing... there will be a Permissions table that holds security
> information.  I'll remove all those old tables that are no longer in use as they may prove
> confusing.  The Permissions table will track what objects are able to perform what actions on
> what objects.  Thats the structure it'll follow.  And that will allow all objects in the system
> to be security aware.

Does this add a lot of overhead?
> 
> Lemme know your thoughts on all this.  And if you have any ideas on the author/contributer/etc
> thing I'd love to hear them.  Thanks Wade!

Glad to contribute.  When you get a new schema, I would love to review
it and comment on it.  

Also, I have used a simple tcl program to populate tables when doing
development
like this.  What I would do would be to create a flat file of records
for
input, a tcl program to read that file and output SQL, then run psql (I
was using
postgres) to update the table.  If I changed a table, all I had to do
was
to dump the table, edit the text and tcl, then rebuild the table.  For 
test data, I could even write a script or C program to generate the test
info....  Any interest in this?

Cheers,
-- 
W. Wade, Hampton  <whampton@staffnet.com>