Re: [Gnumed-devel] the id_name debate

[Horst Herb]

On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 18:55, Richard Terry wrote:
> Now, look at the second png with the headings. Of course, you can easily
> identify which id in which table links to which names external key in which
> table, BUT- AS YOU ARE DOING THIS NOTICE YOUR EYE MOVEMENTS     - to be
> able to know which id links to which you have to look up to the top of the
> table heading and them back down to where you want to link to - This is
> slow, confusing and a total pain - you wouldnt have to do this if they were
> properly named.

Richard,
I continue to firmly believe that your brain and my brain are organized 
entirely different - our workflows, ways of thinking, aesthetical and 
practical perceptions simply differ.

I find this utmost fascinating; especially since we both can achieve whatever 
we want with our own ways.

In your concrete example, when I use a  visual designer, I arrange the table 
representations in the same hierarchical way that represents the underlying 
normalized architecture. My eyes don't flick around since
a) I "know" which is what and where because what I see visually simply 
represents the "map" of it I have in my brain and
b) when I read, I don't read single letters but usually whole sentences if not 
whole pages in one go - same thing with visual representation of data 
structure. I do not perceive these little entities, I see the whole picture 
and do not dissect it. I believe we perceive and process this completely 
different.

That said, I can't stand the visual designers, because all they do is slow me 
down, and that substantially.

This is yet another strong argument for keeping the user interface as user 
configurable (as opposed to rigidly specified) as possible, to allow for such 
differences between users (and developers).

Horst