RE: RE: [Phpgroupware-developers] Re: phpGroupware database and u ml d ocumentation in wiki?

[Michael Dean]

On Sat, 2003-06-14 at 00:12, Brian Johnson wrote:
> I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that most of us consider 
> addressbook
> and calendar to be part of the core system that other apps would/should tie 
> into better.

They certainly are core apps, but are not part of the API.  Although, I
do consider the functions they provide (along with communication) to be
core components of a groupware system.

> As for duplicated tables with the same info, I know for certain that timetrack
> duplicates parts of addressbook, accounts, and hr because those apps don't 
> provide
> what timetrack needs in their current form.

My point to Kai was to demonstrate not every module creates copies of
tables from other apps if it needed that information.  It seemed to be
what he implied as he wants a huge static schema instead of a modular
one.

> A standard inter-app linking system is needed.  The linking system included 
> with
> infolog (please relaize that I'm talking about the code behind infolog and 
> not just
> the ui .. although that is good too for viewing and creating links) is the 
> most
> flexible and easiest to standardize system.  It basically boils down to one 
> table.
> It should be used.

I don't think you really want a hard-wired standard system here.  At
least not at the physical database structure.  You can easily create
classes to abstract this functionality, but depending on the situation,
it is not always a good idea to link everything in one table among the
various apps.  This is where you would get app specific - especially for
performance reasons.

Mike