Other attributes besides type,precision,scale

In this particular instance, we are flagging that some columns contain the value of a URL. The UI code will see this and convert the values to hyperlinks where appropriate.

There are a few ways to do this. We might allow a column type called URL that is implemented as an x-digit varchar, with various extra validation and special treatment by the UI. A data dictionary entry for the table might then look like:

table vendors {
 column company_name { type: varchar; precision: 40 }  column website { type: url }
 ...other columns...
}

The other option is to keep the types more pure and add a flag to the column definition, which is then interpreted where appropriate by the various tiers, so that we define the column as:

column website { type: varchar; precision: 40; url: yes }

and the table as:

table vendors {
 column company_name { type: varchar; precision: 40 }  column website
}

A first glance reaction might be to say, "nonsense, it's pure UI, keep it out of the data dictionary!" But we also define the URL's for XML RPC calls in data, and then we define columns in terms of the return values from XML RPC calls, so the URL there is part of automated processes, not just UI.

Anyway, any thoughts are always welcome.

-- 
Kenneth Downs
Secure Data Software, Inc.
(Ken)nneth_at_(Sec)ure(Dat)a(.com)