[REBOL] Re: RFC: Rebol Framework
From: petr:krenzelok:trz:cz at: 22-Sep-2002 14:54
Heh, I just hope you don't consider my email being rant or so :-) I just
tried to give some feedback :-) In fact, it's a bit sad more ppl are not
attracted in something like having app/networking framework. Maybe it's
just general problem of Rebol user-base - we are just few ....
>>there seem to be XY bugs ...
>>
>>
>
>What are XY bugs? Problems with coordinates?
>
no, I just started the script, entered some info, pressed buttons and
got app crash ... :-)
>>There should be also some kind of simple
>>example of how to actually use it.
>>
>>
>
>Well, good idea: How about writing some short "how to get started" and
>post it to me ;-)).
>
to write some, I need to clearly understand how it works, what does it
do, etc. :-)
>>Very good production app could be generated by it. I especially find
>>highly insufficient (unless I miss something) to define field type as
>>only being a datatype.
>>
>>
>
>As I wrote: This is just a very Q&D first move. It's not anything near
>the business object dialect that I have in mind.
>
Ah, now I understand ... more on that later ....
>>- is it part of index expression? If so, which one? 1, 2, 3 ...(index
>>firstname + lastname + age)
>>
>>
>
>?? What kind of index you refer too? The only ID used is an object id,
>that's it. Searching will be field-based on a full-record base. So you
>can search for any content in specified fields or in all fields.
>
that answer my question, thanks .... In dbase we had to define which
field is part of what index, to be able to perform fast searches.
>>- VTG - variable to get - a cool feature - e.g. VTG("AB")
>>allowed us to type only A or B chars (used for floppy sellection).
>>
>>
>
>Choice?
>
>>- mask - (999)-(999 999) - e.g. phone-number
>>
>>
>
>No, generic rules will be used.
>
What do you mean by generic rules here? Imo it more relates to have
profi-field style, accepting some kind of mask, etc. E.g. imagine field
type for date entry, IP address entry, which automatically skips #"."
(dots), etc. Users like it. So, above mask just means users are not
allowed to enter other char than number, and other chars "-() " are
skipped/can't be deleted, etc.
>Rules will be used.
>
several of your answers refer to Rules. What do you mean by "rule" in
regards to business object, its field, property, etc?
>To much SAP working, he? Rules will be used.
>
I don't like SAP. It has the most crappy language (ABAP) I seen so far.
Too complex to maintain too ...
>>Some overview found:
>>http://www.incredibleprogram.com/html/zachary_overview.html
>>
>>
>
>Thanks for the link. IIRC I once heard about zachary, but I'm going to
>have a look at it.
>
Just don't spend your free time too much looking at old architecture. It
is me who has to understand first, what your architecture offers ...
>>So, I don't understand a bit, where is your app framework positioned?
>>What can be defined? What has to be maintained in code by
>>ourselves? etc.
>>
>>
>
>Ok, I try from what I have and where we will go to:
>1. Users can define all kind of business-objects (BO).
>- Business-objects have a class.
>- You can define more than one business-object per class.
>- The class definition uses paths idea to be able to
> specify specializations for BO.
>- Objects are build just from name/value pairs.
>- Two records of one BO don't have to have the same name/value pairs.
>
>2. Users can define all kind of relations.
>- Same that applies to BO applies to relations.
>
>3. Relations are the "semantic", BO are the data.
>
>4. You apply generic functions on the datamodel that use the "semantics"
>and the "data" for input.
>
>5. You apply rules to define in which situation what makes sense.
>
>6. You don't have a single application that does one job. You have a
>datamodel, a set of functions and all these together are your "single"
>application that will be all you need.
>
It sounds good. What about providing small example? Very primitive one,
to your 1 - 5 points ... I am especially interested to understand first,
how rules will be defined, if rules/relations can be later dynamically
added during the system production life, what exactly do you mean by
attributes
etc.
So, I still need to understand, what are going to be possibilities of
rebol-framework system. I would like to see some open, not too much
complex architecture, providing us with ability to define/express
business relations, as needed. It has to provide user/programmer with
the feeling, like you have with Rebol - expressive freedom. As in
relational model - you have to think in terms of relational-db
capabilities. If such framework can be created, I am fully after it.
PS: do you know anything about UML? The question is, if we are not
going to reinvent the wheels, as I read about similar BO systems, being
described by language called UML. Many systems can import it, etc. I
don't know anything concrete about it yet though ...
-pekr-