Re: [Gnumed-devel] Time for a major re-think in 2005 - opinions please.

[Karsten Hilbert]

> > Does it offer the option to "drive" other DB frontends ? Eg.
> > jump the user to that frontend, perhaps calling up a given
> > drug, waiting for the user to finish whatever business she had
> > within that foreign frontend and continue working with the
> > results passed back by that frontend ?

> Right now this option is missing. From which part of gnumed
> should this "jump" be initiated ?
>From anywhere someone decides to place a "show drug" button (or
another activator). Eventually, Richard might be the one to
decide where such "links" are best placed.

> From a prescription plugin or
Yes, for example.

> from the drug browser plugin itself ?
Well, if we use this simple method of interfacing foreign drug
DB GUIs (as opposed to interfacing the 3rd party *DB*
directly) we don't really have an immediate need for a drug
browser. Mind you, we will, but not now if we decide to do
things like this for the time being.

> In the former case, we
> will need some code that takes drug names or parts of that,
> passes those to some drug DB (internal and external) and
> returns a list of selected drugs.
Yes. But if and only if the external drug DB UI supports that.
I know the Gelbe Liste and Ifap do as this is the way *many*
German commercial apps use them.

> In that case I don't believe
> that it makes much sense to enter drugs in the gnumed plugin
> and show the results there afterwards.
Precisely, because we are "hijacking" the DB-native GUI. IOW
jumping to it. If we are lucky it offers a useful API.

> You probably want
> something like a button (or notebook label) you click to take
> you to the external software.
precisely

> 1. lookup a drug in prescription context (passing and returning drug names 
> etc.)
...
> The first one needs mainly an interface between prescription plugin and any 
> kind of drug DB
Correct. However, as a prescription plugin isn't imminent
(even if written it creates a lot of maintenance
requirements) we may be content with 2) for 0.1 or even 0.2.

> 2. lookup a drug outside prescription context (pass name, return nothing)
That would be useful (but still optional) in 0.1.

> The latter needs some quick hack if you want to call an
> external program
right

> (and a decision where to put the "Drug Info" button).
However, that decision neeedn't be taken by whoever is writing
the logic connected to the button. Just make it a class
cJumpToDrugDBButton or something.

Karsten
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