2009/4/17 Knut Staring <knu...@gmail.com>: > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:10 PM, Bob Jolliffe <bobjolli...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> 2009/4/17 Knut Staring <knu...@gmail.com>: >> > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 5:09 PM, Saptarshi Purkayastha >> > <sun...@gmail.com> >> > wrote: >> >>> >> >>> When importing dataelements, it becomes a problem that shornames have >> >>> to >> >>> be both unique AND max 25 characters. I think we should loosen the >> >>> second >> >>> requirement in the db. It must be up to the users to make their >> >>> shortnames >> >>> sufficiently short, not a db constraint. >> >> >> >> I disagree, it makes more sense to keep it the way it is... a reason >> >> its >> >> called short name ;-) >> >> and building boundaries on the data model is a best practice of sorts. >> > >> > Yes, that is exactly why we made it the way it is. >> >> >> >> Some other solution may just be able to solve the problem?? >> > >> > Let me describe the issue in some more detail: We want to import a >> > database >> > which has 3000 data elements (survey questions), most of them >> > considerably >> > longer than 25 characters, and many very similar, often differing mainly >> > in >> > a few characters at the end. Shortname is restricted to be required, >> > unique >> > and 25 characters. One possibility is to just use the dataelementid as >> > shortname, but that of course would mean it is completely useless, just >> > a >> > filler to enable data to be imported. >> > We are now putting a high priority on import (of hierarchies, data >> > elements, >> > and data) from a spreadsheet, and the import process could perhaps >> > contain >> > intelligence suggesting possible shortnames, but it is quite hard to >> > come up >> > with something generic that will make sense in most cases. One strategy >> > is >> > to just take the 25 first characters of the name, and if the result >> > exists >> > already, substitute a number for the last two characters (alternatively >> > do >> > this for all). This is sort of workable, but it would in that case be >> > desirable to also mark the data element so that someone can go through >> > manually afterwards. >> > Another option would be to the uniquenesscheck in the spreadsheet first >> > - or >> > go through all dataelements with length over 25 characters manually >> > before >> > importing. It is actually easier to do it in the spreadsheet than in >> > DHIS 2 >> > - but we don't have that import functionality yet. >> > Knut >> >> From fs/namei.c in linux kernel source: >> /* >> * Given a valid longname, create a unique shortname. Make sure the >> * shortname does not exist >> * Returns negative number on error, 0 for a normal >> * return, and 1 for valid shortname >> */ >> static int vfat_create_shortname(struct inode *dir, struct nls_table *nls, >> wchar_t *uname, int ulen, >> unsigned char *name_res, unsigned char >> *lcase) >> >> The algorithm is pretty short and could probably be pretty easily >> replicated in java or perhaps better still as a spreadsheet macro. > > A spreadsheet macro may be the best for coming up with plausible candidates, > though I have no idea what this particular one does. > >> >> Seriously though, I have to agree with Saptarshi here. The point of a >> short name is that it should be bounded. > > There is no disagreement on that, the issue is what to do when importing > data from existing systems. From many perspectives, it does make sense to do > most of the required processing before importing, at least the simple. > >> >> (I'm not sure a survey question is a suitable candidate as a data element >> name anyway but thats another issue). > > Survey data is a very high priority for us, but you are right that the bulk > description will go in a different field. And one should probably take the > required time to change both shortnames and names when importing into DHIS, > but this has to be done by the owners of the data. After we have spreadsheet > import implemented, it will be easier to give people instructions as to how > to process their data in preparation for import. Probably, we have to create > some macros to assist in this. >> >> I presume you won't lose the full name on import? > > > The full name is no problem, issue is only what to do with the shortname > field. But I do think you're right that the issue should be handled before > importing. Still, we may want to extend to 30 > >> >> We have >> 'description' which holds an arbitrary amount of text. So I would opt >> to import the full question in here and do some sort of fat truncation >> trick for the short names which are too long. How many of them go >> >> over the limit? > > 2341
Thats a lot more than you want to do by hand! Dunno. Will think some more. Bob > > Knut >> >> 3000 is a lot but if you are talking 200 over the >> limit it might be doable to manually edit them after the fact and make >> them more meaningful. >> >> Bob >> >> > >> >> >> >> --- >> >> Regards, >> >> Saptarshi PURKAYASTHA >> >> Director R & D, HISP India >> >> Health Information Systems Programme >> >> >> >> My Tech Blog: http://sunnytalkstech.blogspot.com >> >> You Live by CHOICE, Not by CHANCE >> >> >> >>> >> >>> Knut >> >>> >> >>> _______________________________________________ >> >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> >>> Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net >> >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> >> Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net >> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Cheers, >> > Knut Staring >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> > Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net >> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs >> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> > >> > > > > > -- > Cheers, > Knut Staring > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
