Re: A Succinctness Challenge

From: Alexander Burger (abu_at_software-lab.de)
Date: 05/31/04 

Date: 31 May 2004 17:40:14 GMT

Marc Battyani <Marc.Battyani@fractalconcept.com> wrote:
> > As you said, it depends very much on the purpose. A web application is
> > probably easier for an un-initiated user, but for people who have to
> > work with it 8 hours a day a dedicated application might be preferred.

> Hm, I assume you mean a dialog based application as the web applications are
> dedicated too.

Sorry, perhaps "dedicated" was the wrong word. I wanted to indicate
the difference to "web" applications, as in my case the browser and
web technology are not of central importance, just a portable means
for zero-install clients.

> > It would be nice if you could post a solution to the simple person
> > database of my original posting, using your framework.

> Here it is: (I made some modifs to show some disable predicates, added a

Many thanks.

> maried status to show interaction with the spouse value, if you change sex
> or your spouse gets maried to somebody else you are automatically un-maried,
> etc.)

So you assume exactly one spouse during a person's lifetime, of
opposite sex? I intended to handle it more tolerantly ;-)

But for the purpose of demonstration, this is Ok for me, though
similar mechanisms exist with the parent <-> kid relations.

As far as I see, however, this is only the database part, not the
whole application. How about the definition and behavior of the GUI?

Also, my original request was primarily for an API as abstracted as
possible. Similar to the 'ucw' solution of Marco Baringer you coded
the mechanics of the relations on-the-fly. Can you abstract it more,
in a way that is usable for all other applications of this kind (e.g.
when you have customers, suppliers and articles instead of persons)?

Then I'd ask for your permission to include it in the
reader-contributed solutions on my page.

> [Who should really be working on real work!]

Sorry ...
But perhaps these abstractions will be useful for you later, too :-)

- Alex 

-- 
   Software Lab. Alexander Burger
   Bahnhofstr. 24a, D-86462 Langweid
   abu@software-lab.de, http://www.software-lab.de, +49 821 9907090