Years ago I had written a system, far predating XML, where the element-tags
were unpredictable. Essentially the user was allowed to create any tags
they wished, and any number of tags they wished, attached to another item.
Each tag had an associated value. So far example
Zip Code = 95062
You could not however predict what tags a person would use, they were all
free-form and user-supplied, but you still had to store the tag with their
associated value.
At the time I developed two ideas for how to do this in a Pick item
TAGS1052
001 Make = Chrysler
002 Model = LeBaron
003 Age = 7 years and 3 days
TAGS1052
001 Make]Model]Age
002 Chrysler
003 LeBaron
004 7 years and 3 days
The first model is clear. Anyone with no programming background at all,
can easily understand it, and also easily edit it. It suffers from requiring
more elaborate programming than the second model, as you have to parse every
element.
The second model is not quite as clear. You determine the attibute
position of the "value" by locate the tag in attribute 1 and then adding 1 to
it.
That gives you the attribute number where the value lives. Alternately you
could simply pre-fill attribute 1 with an initial null to push everything
forward 1 place, then you wouldn't have to add 1 after your locate.
Comments? Critiques? Nasty cat-calls and grimaces?
Will Johnson
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