Re: Course <->topic [was: UU database: problem tables]

[Anatoly Volynets <av@total-knowledge.com>]

Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh wrote:
> Alexey Parshin wrote:
>   
> > Still, the question "Should we drop the course entity and replace it
> > with topic" still not answered.
> >     
> Yes it was, if you read all the thread. The answer was "umm, maybe" ;-)
>   

My answer was "no, absolutely not" in terms of user interface, UMO. From 
programming point of view: you design classes and their relations that 
you find suitable. I remember, you almost agreed on  Topic to be parent 
class for Course - fine with me. End-user has to have both to manage as 
traditionally as possible. 
> > And, I still see no reason for limiting a course to a single topic.
> > I can see a course with multiple topics, and don't see any problems
> > with it.
> >     
> From database schema POV it doesn't make _much_ difference. However, looking
> at the model layer classes, it's apparent, that we'd have to duplicate
> bunch of
> functions if we had topic and class as two completely separate things: i.e.
> all child enumeration functions, modifications, etc. If you look at
> "Course" as
> a topic with extra functionality (some specific administrative stuff),
> you don't
> need to do anything extra.
>   
> > 2006/9/26, Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh <ilya@total-knowledge.com
> > <mailto:ilya@total-knowledge.com>>:
> >
> >     Alexey Parshin wrote:
> >     > 2006/9/26, Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh <ilya@total-knowledge.com
> >     <mailto:ilya@total-knowledge.com>
> >     > <mailto:ilya@total-knowledge.com
> >     <mailto:ilya@total-knowledge.com>>>:
> >     >
> >     >     On a related note, problem (just like any other object actually)
> >     >     can belong to more then one topic, more then one test, etc.
> >     >     Same is true for topic->subtopic relationship.
> >     >
> >     >     On the other hand, there is 0-1:1 relationship between
> >     course and
> >     >     topic. I.E. like we talked about earlier, course is just an
> >     >     administrative
> >     >     unit, wrapping single top-level topic.
> >     >
> >     >
> >     > Why a course may have only one topic? I probably missed
> >     something, but
> >     > I see no reason why course may not have several topics..
> >     Otherwise, we
> >     > don't need two entities for the same thing.
> >     >
> >     Read this thread:
> >     http://www.total-knowledge.com/progs/uu/archive/msg00078.html
> >
> >     --
> >     Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh
> >     Total Knowledge. CTO
> >     http://www.total-knowledge.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Alexey Parshin,
> > http://www.sptk.net 
> >     
>
>   

--

Anatoly Volynets, Co-Founder
total-knowledge.com
culturedialogue.org