[Zope] RE: [ZDP] CoolFAQ design questions

Rob Page rob.page@digicool.com
Fri, 23 Apr 1999 06:55:07 -0400


> > >  > Joe Van Andel asked the following question:
> > >  > > I'm not quite clear on how Z-Tables will be used for 
> > CoolFAQ.  Is
> > >  > each Q&A
> > >  > > going to be stored in an entry in the Z-Table?  How do 
> > >  you plan to
> > >  > > represent the "natural" outline structure that most FAQs 
> > >  would want:
> > >  > > Topic 1
> > >  > >    Q1.1
> > >  > >    Q1.2
> > >  > >    Subtopic a
> > >  > >         Q1.2.1
> > >  > >    Subtopic b
> > >  > > Topic 2
> > >  > >    Q2.1
> > >  > >    Q2.2

Z Tables has quite an interesting capability in that in can create and
manage multi-level indices on the data.  We call these Hierarchies for
obvious reasons.  It comes from a very early experience in needing to
allow users to browse large numbers of automotive advertisements.

We could store the ads in one database (the grand dad of ZTables) and
create several Hierarchies.  For example, you might want to browse
starting my price:

Price Band
  Make 
    Model

or maybe you were Make drive:

Make
   Model
      Price Band
    
Sooo, one might create some fields to store the FAQ's placement and then
create Hierarchy indices on those columns.  An added bonus is that
"flat" searching (e.g., Make=Chevrolet) will use the index data
structures created by either of the Hierarchies above.

> > >  > I leave the floor to Martijn Pieters, our Z Tables 
> > >  advocate, or anyone
> > >  > else who wants to answer. This'll help me increase my Z 
> > Tables Zen
> > >  > too.
> > >  > :)
> > >  > 
> > >  Well, Z Tables is supposed to be an SQL database on top of 
> > >  Zope, right?

No...  I'll ask Jim Fulton to chime in here a little bit...

> > >  http://www.sths.org/genus/uber/renderall
> > >  
> > >  is the address of a page I am currently working on. It 
> should look
> > >  something like 
> > >  
> > >  Animalia - Kingdom
> > >            CHORDATA - Phylum
> > >                 UROCHORDATA - Subphylum
> > >                 VERTEBRATA - Subphylum
> > >                      MAMMALIA - Class
> > >                           EUTHERIA - Subclass
> > >                                PRIMATES - Order
> > >                                     ANTHROPOIDEA - Suborder
> > >                                          HOMINOIDEA - Superfamily
> > >                                               HOMINIDAE - Family
> > >                                                    

Well, I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that ZTables might not be
the best choice if your needs are for an arbitrary hierarchy.  I'll also
ask for Jim's technical reasoning to either support or discard my
recommendation... 

<SNIP>

--Rob