[unrev-II] Categories and Versions

From: Eric Armstrong (eric.armstrong@eng.sun.com)
Date: Thu Nov 02 2000 - 18:40:28 PST

  • Next message: Gil Regev: "RE: [unrev-II] Jack's Use Case: Context-sensitive representation"

    The issue of versions continues to complicate
    the node hierarchy beyond all reason. If the
    issues are resolvable, the resulting system
    will be golden, but...

    Today's thought question is:
      If we want categories, and we want versioning,
      how do categories interact with versioning?

    In particular:
      * Does changing the category on a node
        count as a change on the document it is in
        (i.e. a new version)? (It seems likely.)

      * But what if the category is merely renamed,
        for example from "ToDo" to "Action Item"?
        Do we mark every document that contains
        one of those as changed? (probably not)

      * But do we then mark the list of categories
        as having changed, so the changes can be
        seen? (Probably, so.)

      * But that implies the existence of two different
        versioning mechanisms: one for the node structures
        that comprise documents, and one for those that
        comprise categories.

      * It's a bit much to have two independent
        versioning systems in the same kernel. Should
        categories therefore be *excluded* from the
        kernel, and therefore implemented in the outer
        system? Such a system would then use one copy
        of the kernel for document nodes, and another
        copy for category nodes, and then tie those
        systems together in some way. Does that make
        sense???

      * BTW: I need a word. The word "kernel" is
        wonderfully descriptive for the seed, the
        foundation on which larger systems can be
        built. But is there a word for the system
        that is built around the kernel? I've been
        using the "outer system" or "surrounding
        system". That sucks, though. Anyone got
        anything better?

      * For an even more interesting problem, what happens
        when a category is split in two, so that
        "ToDo" becomes "Bug:Open" &/or "Feature:Open".
        How are those changes versioned? (Traction
        solved this problem. So it is solvable. But
        how???)

    -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~>
    eLerts
    It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free!
    http://click.egroups.com/1/9699/5/_/444287/_/973219227/
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------_->

    Community email addresses:
      Post message: unrev-II@onelist.com
      Subscribe: unrev-II-subscribe@onelist.com
      Unsubscribe: unrev-II-unsubscribe@onelist.com
      List owner: unrev-II-owner@onelist.com

    Shortcut URL to this page:
      http://www.onelist.com/community/unrev-II



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Nov 02 2000 - 18:50:40 PST