dynamic UI builder from database

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jay
  • Start date Start date
J

Jay

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 said:
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!
Click to expand...

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