SCOUG-Programming Mailing List Archives

Date:	Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:54:45 -0700
From:	"Lynn H. Maxson" <lmaxson@pacbell.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	"SCOUG Programming SIG" <scoug-programming@scoug.com >
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: The big "DD"

Content Type: text/plain

I keep referring to the Data Repository/Directory without
mentioning that as a "byproduct" it serves as a Data
Dictionary. Actually we could better call it a "source
dictionary" as it covers all source text, code, and data
instances. You pick a given name it tells you all its use
instances (contexts), who uses it, how, and where. That
includes all versions of all source text, code, and data.

It does it because it has no choice. No option exists for it not
to occur. That makes it different from existing data
dictionaries. For the same no option reason that makes it
different from existing versioning systems. It occurs
automatically through the software. If it didn't, then the
software wouldn't work.

I might mention another advantage with respect to these "no
option", integrate features. They start out in the most
advanced functional form and will have no evolutionary
development.

In short we do not seek to develop a versioning system which
as we go along we expect to improve over time. Versioning is
a means of dealing with homonyms (same name, different
referent). The "unique" naming convention we use consists of
a proper name (text-based) appended with an index. It
occurs with every name regardless of source text, code, or
data. Thus every use instance has a two-part unique name
with one part signifying its version: no option, universally
applied.

So you don't have this thing about some "versioning" feature
present in this "version" of the versioning product which
represents an "improvement" over a previous version.
Sometimes starting at the end is the place to begin.

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