Re: [Gnumed-devel] the id_name debate

[Karsten Hilbert]

Richard,

several things I don't understand. Here are my thoughts:

- Bare schemata aren't intended for end users.
- visual query designers allow more convenient query design
- the sum of the above doesn't mean schemata now *are* for end
  users after all
- it rather means that end users who want to get to the bottom
  of the datastore need to learn at least a minimum about DBs
- same for end-user car drivers -- if they want to tune the
  machine they need to learn about the car -- they can,
  however, use golden wrenches with digital torque display if
  they so desire -- this doesn't relieve them of the necessity
  to know the nut they are applying that torque to

Hence we will design the schema so it makes sense for the
average DB-person.

The naming of some of the tables could be improved, no doubt.

> They do - see the png attatched - it is the IMHO crappy naming scheme which 
> makes it painfully unclear!
I see no problem whatsoever in the png ?

> Take a look at the notablehead.png (I've wiped out the table headings)
This *is* confusing and unhelpful. However, this is akin to a
wrench with no gauge imprinted (eg a faulty tool) -- one would
always have to try and test several on the nut that needs to
come off -- just like you describe.

> As you are looking at it you've not much clue as to which ID links to which 
> have you (of course not there are not headings), but you would immediately if 
> the primary key was named id_address, id_street etc. You wouldn't need the 
> headings.
Do you want wrenches to be imprinted with "this is a wrench" ?
What good are broken shreds of a wrench that you find laying
around somehwere even though you can still read the 10'' gauge
imprint on one of the pieces ? Are you going to use it ?

> 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 
Now, *there* you have a point. It requires more eye movement.
However, this is the fault of the visual query designer. Why
does it not prepend or append the name of the table to each of
the field names ?!? (of course that's kind of ugly but goes
along the same lines of reasoning)

> 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.
Single-minded policies for naming are not the proper tool to fix
the display of (one) (apparently suboptimal) visual query
designer). Fixing the query designer is. Being explicit
doesn't mean being verbose.

> This extends to every bit of design/gui design.
True.

> The current gnuMed gui design is a total pain as well
Here you have a much better point ! Since the goal of the GUI
*is* to make use of information convenient (notice how this is
precisely the same with visual query designers).


> - because whovever stuck in the tabbed system at the 
> bottom just dosn't realise that.
a) perhaps for that person it is not that much of an
   unbearable pain ?
b) perhaps it was a 0.1 compromise ?


> I've always made my designs so one needs as 
> minimal as possible eye movement to get around.
This is exactly why I try to keep you interested. To keep your
experience in the project.

> This is the same sort of 
> argument I put forth when I modified the login screen some time ago (and it 
> was rejected).
Did I miss your patch ?

Also, I start GnuMed several times per day. The login GUI
requires of me THREE non-password keypresses:

TAB
type-password
TAB
ENTER

This is certainly sub-optimal but by no means painful.

> Also screen design placements make navigating with a mouse which one often 
> has 
> to do easy or hard. IN the current gnumed - one types in a name at the top, 
> and then has to mouse travel all the way to the bottom of the screen to 
> change tabs, then back to the top etc. 
Good point. We could make the tabs appear at the top at a
moments notice. Or even configurably so.

> Anyway - hope this makes some impression and not necessarily a bad one.
Not a bad one.

Karsten
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