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Hello..
this is more of a design question.
I need to develop an app that provides UI (CRUD =
create/review/update/delete) operations for a database table.
e.g: sample table layout is, (this already exists)
Name:
value:
(Value can be an number/char/datetime etc)
value_type:number/char/datetime.

Based on the table values in the table I need to create the UI.
For e.g: The View operation will show : (these are the values in the table)

User_limit 30
user_Message Cannot access
user_expire_date 10/10/2010

Now for the Edit/create operation: I need some meta-data information to
create the appropriate UI controls.
e.g: If I want to edit user_expire_date, I need to diaply the datetime
control.
for user_limit - need to display number values 0-100.
for user_message: display a simple edit box control. I also need to know the
character limit.

Apart from these I might also need, the order of display for the particular
"name".
or even group them together..if I have 100 entries..I might use the "group"
name to filter how much to display.

where do I store this kind of meta-data information?
is it appropriate to have an
1. XML associated with each of these entries.Like this..
Name:
value:
value_type:number/char/datetime.
mete-data: <min_limit/><max_limit/><group_ID/><display_order/>

or
2. Have it in another database table?
table1:
-----
Name:
value:
value_type:number/char/datetime.

Meta_data_table1
-----------------
min_limit
max_limit
group_ID
display_order

Which is one more efficient? more maintainable?

thanks in advance for your support!

"Jay" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Hello..
> this is more of a design question.
> I need to develop an app that provides UI (CRUD =
> create/review/update/delete) operations for a database table.
> e.g: sample table layout is, (this already exists)
> Name:
> value:
> (Value can be an number/char/datetime etc)
> value_type:number/char/datetime.
>
> Based on the table values in the table I need to create the UI.
> For e.g: The View operation will show : (these are the values in the
> table)
>
> User_limit 30
> user_Message Cannot access
> user_expire_date 10/10/2010
>
> Now for the Edit/create operation: I need some meta-data information to
> create the appropriate UI controls.
> e.g: If I want to edit user_expire_date, I need to diaply the datetime
> control.
> for user_limit - need to display number values 0-100.
> for user_message: display a simple edit box control. I also need to know
> the character limit.
>
> Apart from these I might also need, the order of display for the
> particular "name".
> or even group them together..if I have 100 entries..I might use the
> "group" name to filter how much to display.
>
> where do I store this kind of meta-data information?
> is it appropriate to have an
> 1. XML associated with each of these entries.Like this..
> Name:
> value:
> value_type:number/char/datetime.
> mete-data: <min_limit/><max_limit/><group_ID/><display_order/>
>
> or
> 2. Have it in another database table?
> table1:
> -----
> Name:
> value:
> value_type:number/char/datetime.
>
> Meta_data_table1
> -----------------
> min_limit
> max_limit
> group_ID
> display_order
>
> Which is one more efficient? more maintainable?
>
> thanks in advance for your support!
>
>

Which is more maintainable and more efficient would be to keep the XML in a
database table. After all, XML is just string data.