On 7/16/06, David Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I have been think about this question, what do we need a local SQL database for? And how does it need to be integrated with the Bibliographic application?
And come to think of it, do we need to have source editing within OOo at all? One could imagine, for example, that editing a source would take one back to one's outboard database.
An SQL database is not necessary to store the local citations in documents even temporarily as they are worked on. However Bib users may want to store collections of citations, in some manner, and SQL databases are probably a mechanism we may want to support. If only to provide a browse and 'insert into document' function, as would do for internet / remote database search and insert.
That's the thing, in the way we've approached this, there really is no distinction between "internet/remote" and "my references"; they're accessed in the same way. And given projects like SmartFox, Connotea, CiteUlike, Refworks, etc., is tthere really any doubt that the future of reference management is the web?
One of the difficulties with a building a close connection between the xml local storage and a SQL database, is that the xml data will support formatted text, included embedded document objects (mathematical formula etc). SQL database are ascii based. Of course a one way to deal with this is to have a ascii version of each potentially formatted field and the formatted version. (you need the plain ascii field for searching)
SQL database can store pretty much anything, so there'd be no problem, for example, storing unicode-encoded math titles, or even adding some minimal markup? Maybe there are some tricks for searching it?
If we want to store and maintain bibliographic collections it would be easier if the collections were stored in a xml database such as eXist, and the field conversion problems disappear.
I'm not really sure an xml db is needed. I doubt know about anybody else, but my data in RDF/XML is maybe 1MB.
I am thinking that the xml database for local storage of citation collections would be the a good choice as the some the local editing tools would work in the same way on the in-document citations and the xml database citations. This is least work option for storage of collections of citations. With a SQL database we would need to build two sets of editing tools - xml and SQL.
Well, I think the questions we're left with are: 1) must OOoBib include reference management facilitties (actual database support), or can we leave it to third-parties? 2) if we do, SQL, flat XML, or XML DB? 3) if we don't, how do we allow users to edit the source for a citation? Edit the local embedded XML though an OOo form (probably xforms) and sync it to the outboard database, or just link their and let that application handle it? My current thinking is: 1) no; it's be nice to have, but not essential 2) SQL or flat XML 3) link; no OOo form support for this
I do not have any firm ideas about this, these are just my musings.
Right, me neither. Bruce --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
