Jean Weber wrote:
On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 2:06 AM, Daniel Lewis<[email protected]> wrote:
Jean Hollis Weber wrote:
[much detail snipped]
Here is my suggestion: Dan and Zoltan, please carry on with your work on
Chapter 4. I think you are on the right track, and I do not think major
surgery will be needed. Meanwhile I will do a bit of reshuffling of the
material in Chapters 1 and 2 and come up with a proposal for your
consideration.
--Jean
I have been doing some more thinking about the purpose for the Base
Guide. Who will be using it? It seems they will fit somewhere between those
who need to use "Getting Started with Base" and those who understand
database theory. Can we write the Base Guide so that we can address the
needs of as many of these needs as possible? I think it can be done.
Chapter 1 should contain an overview of Base. And it does need more work
on eliminating too many details that are better covered in the later
chapters.
Chapter 2: I agree with you Jean.
Chapters 3 and 4: These can begin with explaining the principles behind
what the wizards do. Then explain how to do the same thing using design view
followed by using SQL. It is in these chapters that I think the technical
terms should be introduced. As the principles, upon which the technical
terms are based, are explained, give them their proper name.
This progress would serve two purposes: It can increase the knowledge of
those who know a little but to learn more about database. It contains enough
technical terms for the more advanced people who know the terms. Learning
the peculiarities of Base will be easier for them because terms are used
which they understand.
Chapter 5: No thoughts about this yet.
Chapter 6 and later chapters: Perhaps here is where the technical terms
should be used more extensively. I'm thinking that Cecilia Cheung has the
expertise needed to write them. (Quite a few suggestions along the way for
the rest of us in our writing would be most helpful as well.)
Dan,
I also think we can write the Base Guide so that we can address the needs of
as many people as possible, as we have attempted to do with the other books.
Would you like me to do some reshuffling, or would you prefer to do it
yourself?
I am certainly not looking for more work, but I'm willing to do what I
can if you
think it would help. (The "other set of eyes" approach.) OTOH, if you'd like to
have another go first, please do! Just let me know.
--Jean
I'm already doing this in chapter 4. (At least I think I am.) As
soon as I can get down with this chapter, I want to make similar changes
in chapter 3 and then look at the earlier chapters. Off the top of my
head, I don't think too much will need to be done in chapter 2, and that
is adding the terms that apply to normalized tables. I think the
principles are already there. It should require only giving a technical
term to each of the normalized levels for its set of principles.
I'd rather wait to tackling chapter 1 until the other three
chapters are done.
Dan
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