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Grid naming convention suggestions

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    Grid naming convention suggestions

    We are working on a large application with many grids to be developed. We have come up with the following naming convention:

    Prefix-Table_Name-Descriptor(optional)_Type-Layout-Attributes(optional)

    Prefix:
    ADM = Administrative (clerical)
    USR = User
    SYS = System

    Table_Name is self evident

    Descriptor - we�re not sure yet, but we figure there will be something or other unforeseen that we may need here.

    Type (matches the Alpha Five default grid templates):
    _R = Read only
    _U = Updateable
    _A = Add records only
    _D = Updateable with detail section
    _S = Single record form (view, edit, insert, delete)

    Layout (corresponding to grid layout types):
    T = Tabular
    F = Form (columnar)
    S = Stacked columnar

    Attributes (there may be other attributes that we may define in the future):
    L = grid contains Linked grid content
    R = grid contains a row expander
    S = grid contains a search part

    e.g.
    USR_Accounts_UTLS which means:
    User grid, Accounts_Table, Updateable, Tabular, contains a Linked Content Section, and a SearchPart

    Does anyone have any suggestions or comments or something that we may have forgotten?
    Peter
    AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

    [email protected]
    https://www.alphabasesolutions.com



    #2
    Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

    Hello Peter -

    I have been deliberating this for my project as well, so I'm glad to see this post. I do have 2 comments/questions

    1. TYPE - and this is probably just because I'm so new to Alpha 5, and web apps etc -

    I was thinking of incorporating 4 characters for this, based on CRUD
    so that if a component is read only, the component name would have: _xRxx
    if a component can handle ADD and UPDATE, it would have: _CRUx

    I guess though, the R is redundant, since it would always be applicable....

    2. ATTRIBUTES
    Since your attributes seem attuned to linked content, would you have a separate attribute to indicate that you have a field.specialcontrol.linked grid? Or would that have an L attribute? Seems that there are 3 basic ways of including linked content:
    field.special control
    row expander with linked content
    linked content

    I'm inclined to give all of those the attribute of L (to indicate that there is linked content, in some fashion), or to add an attribute for the embedded link content as a field....
    MSQL since 2010
    A5V11 since Feb 2012

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

      I think maybe you don't need the last two, Layout and Attribute. Its particularly dangerous to get too detailed in the naming convention because things change. You might have a grid with a Row expander and then, after you have included this grid as a linked grid, and inserted on A5W pages, and in a tabbed ui, and now you find it looks better without the Row expander, and now it is too late to rename it without significant work to re-insert it everywhere. I find the number one reason I need to systematically name components is to have a clue which one I need to edit when observing the application live.

      The most organized application I have seen had your Prefix for Admin and System, but also had COM_ for Company Level, then everything else was prefixed by Family or Module. So COM_PRD_* was a component within the Product module, designed for use by a Company level user. ADM_PRD_* was for an Admin level user in Product module. Actually, it was AD_PR_, keeping the prefix shorter.

      The worst thing I have done is to prefix all of my tables and components with some arbitrary indicator like "a_", as in a_userlist, a_property, where "a_" means nothing.

      I also use "zd_" for items I am pretty sure I want to delete or review for deletion before I actually purge them.

      There is an IADN Best Practices Guideline at http://alphadevnet.com/downloads/Alp...Guidelines.pdf.

      If this thread results in a discussion about best practices for naming conventions, I will update that document to reflect the consensus and we can us it to make our projects a little more uniform.
      Steve Wood
      See my profile on IADN

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

        Thanks both. Hopefully some others will chime in with comments & suggestions.
        Peter
        AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

        [email protected]
        https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


        Comment


          #5
          Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

          I try to use a Descriptor, along with almost everything else you've compiled. I find the table name itself isn't enough to find something you're looking for, although it gets pretty close.

          The only other item I put in is a distinction between grids and dialogs. Right now I use "grd" or "dlg" but you could incorporate it as a part of the Layout simply as G or D then add the Layout options you already have.

          GT for Grid Tabular, or DR for Dialog Repeating Section

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

            This reminds me, we need to petition Alpha to add the "Description" field to the detail list of components. The Description field is found under Information for each component.

            BTW, note that there is a filter in the upper right of the component list. I always forget about that, but it is perfect reason to have a naming convention for your components. It filters on any part of the component name. So if you type in 'sys' you get all of your SYS prefixed components, if you enter 'product' you get all of your components that have to do with Products, etc.
            Steve Wood
            See my profile on IADN

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

              I wish I would have seen this a couple of years ago. My grid names are well, a bit cryptic to say the least. I have over a hundred grids in my application. I plan to start using this method as I make changes and add new grids. The IADN Best Practices Guideline is a great resource too.

              Thanks for starting this thread.
              Win 10 64 Development, Win 7 64 WAS 11-1, 2, Win 10 64 AA-1,2, MySql, dbForge Studio The Best MySQL GUI Tool IMHO. http://www.devart.com/dbforge/mysql/studio/

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                Pete -

                I have 2 questions about your 'Types'

                1. I'm trying to match up your Types with A5's default grid templates for SQL, but I'm having trouble because they seem to be in a different sequence and use different words.

                Did I match things up the way you had in mind?
                CODE | Pete's words | A5 words
                _R | Read only | Read-only Grid
                _U | Updateable | Updateable grid
                _A | Add records only | Enter record Form
                _D | Updateable with detail section | Grid with updateable Detail View
                _S | Single record form (view, edit, insert, delete) | Single-Record Form - view, edit, insert, delete


                2. Is there a way to know which template was used for creating a grid? I have right clicked on a component name from within WebControl Panel, and selected Show Details to see the xbasic code, but it simply says that the ComponentType is "Grid"

                Now that I'm understanding the different templates better, I would like to know which template I used to create the component. Yes, in some instances, I can figure it out by deduction, but.....I'm wondering if there is an easy way to know how I created it.

                Thanks -
                Marion
                MSQL since 2010
                A5V11 since Feb 2012

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                  1. Yes, you got it.
                  2. Not that I'm aware of. A template is merely a combination of grid settings. The best way is to look at the grid's "component type" settings. Actually, the trickiest one above is the "Enter record Form " which uses a hidden section in the master template.
                  Peter
                  AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                  [email protected]
                  https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                    I like to name it based on the module I'm building.

                    So StaffGr would be the main Grid and Form for the Staff
                    StaffComplianceRef is the Compliance Grid being Called from the Staff Grid the REF is that it is a cross-reference table which means it's looking things in the master list.
                    DEX means it is an index table. (Dex and Ref aren't called directly but through the Staff Grid)
                    Pro for process
                    Rpts for reports
                    Lib for library
                    See attached.

                    NamingConvention.jpg

                    With column names I like to name them like this with Camel Case:
                    NameFirst
                    NameMiddle
                    NameLast
                    NameNick
                    PhoneHome
                    PhoneOffice
                    PhoneCell
                    DateBeg
                    DateAdd
                    DateMod
                    DateDel

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                      this is not grid naming conventions, which was the title of the thread, but - as other posts have mentioned related conventions, I decided to chime in with a comment.

                      As I'm learning and evaluating and inexperienced, I find that I'm creating numerous views in SQL, to use in A5. I've starting including A5 as part of the view title, so that I know these views were created specifically for the UI (as opposed to views I had created for use in Report Builder)
                      MSQL since 2010
                      A5V11 since Feb 2012

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                        With column names I like to name them like this with Camel Case:
                        NameFirst
                        NameMiddle
                        When creating a grid Alpha automatically converts table fields like "first_name" to "First Name" for the field label. So it is convenient to name your table field names using underbar and whole words like "first_name", "deliver_time". It speeds up development of the Grid because you don't have to go back and adjust all of the labels.
                        Steve Wood
                        See my profile on IADN

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                          I should have looked more into this myself, but I came up with a naming convention for my app.

                          Pretty much I use Camel Case, mostly to eliminate the use of under-bars. Then the first name is the page it is going to be on, and sub names are based on what the main point of that grid is doing. The main grid on a page is often just a single word.

                          So for example I will be building a Location page, and on that page I have a Locations grid. (I pluralize the main grid.)
                          Linked I have a LocationDetail grid. (I made the detail separate for convenience.)
                          LocationMap
                          LocationProducts
                          LocationTax

                          Now I have a LocationMachineGrid, with the word Grid in it, which I probably didn't need, but it contains a linked grid in a cell, and that grid is LocationMachineCell. I used Grid and Cell to differentiate the two before realizing I should have had the first one as the main, and didn't need the Grid.

                          Also I know I should have abbreviated these grids. In other words they should have been LocMap, LocProduct LocTax, LocMach, LocMachCel respectively.

                          Okay, not the best naming convention, but it at least keeps everything organized for what I am doing. I think I will put a little more thought into the naming conventions on my next project.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                            @PeterG

                            Can you please expand/explain how you choose the Prefix (ADM, USR, SYS)

                            For example, what do you use for a Tabbed UI, or Navigation System Component?

                            If you had a grid component that is used as a look-up, but doesn't really have any data entry screens associated with it- would that be ADM or SYS?
                            MSQL since 2010
                            A5V11 since Feb 2012

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Grid naming convention suggestions

                              Marion,

                              Tabbed_ui is SYS_Menu, a lookup is USR---. ADM or admin refers to company administrators, including clerical people. System refers to system managers/db developers. Sure the tabbed_ui is not limited to "SYS", but...
                              Peter
                              AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                              [email protected]
                              https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                              Comment

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