pcplantdb

[John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net>]

Aloha,

> Also I think
> we need a lot of markup for the various atomic data elements like
> height, hardiness, etc, which you touch on with physical and growing
> conditions.

Agreed.

> A lot of the rest of the existing data (the text blobs) I would like
> to move to a more universal context such as that of a comment.  These
> include cultural notes, propagation notes, know hazards, edible uses,
> medicinal uses, and other uses.  These could be as individual comments
> or grouped together as a single comment by Ken Fern.  This is a point
> that needs additional discussion.

How accessible is this info going to be if it's all lumped into a 'more 
universal context' such as a comment?
What do you mean, in DB and search/retrieve terms, by a comment?

> I also want to check in about the time frame of moving to a fully
> XML'ized version.  This represents a significant amount of work that
> does benefit the development of additional clients but not much else.

I think it would benefit the development of all clients, including our 
initial one, and the project as a whole, by:
1) supporting data/logic/presentation separation early on
2) working the kinks out of XMLizing data early on
3) creating and refining an appropriate DTD early on
4) exposing any "gotchas" and/or mistaken assumptions about XMLizing 
whatever you're creating now later on, before they might be a real PITA 
to deal with.

Mind you I'm no fan of the big overhead of XML for data transport, and, 
if we're going to do it let's just do it.

I'm a little dubious of the value of 'shortcuts' that are specific to 
our perceived immediate needs.  Will they be of any value to anyone 
else?  Will they support alternative clients as fully as XML and/or 
XML-RPC, assuming someone chooses to code their client to use the 
'shortcuts'?

My $.02 on that...

John S.

--

John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
------------------------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Whole Systems Design Services
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