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Re: Designing a structure

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  To: comp.databases,comp.lang.
Lew <lew@lewscanon.com> wrote:
>>  Studies and experience have consistently shown that 
>> there is more than one "correct" solution for almost every software 
>> requirement.  The history of computing has notably omitted attempts to find 
>> any "true correct" data model or user interface, and has focused instead on 
>> elucidating principles by which *a* correct solution can be found in any given 
>> situation.

David Segall wrote:
> I believe that the relational database,

Never yet implemented, not implemented in the same way by all vendors, and by 
no means the only database model in production use.

> the spreadsheet, 

of which many varieties exist, and remains to this day only one kind of 
document or analytical tool, competing with and usually giving way to 
presentation software and database systems.

> the Xerox [Palo] Alto user interface, 

Tweaked, altered and re-interpreted a zillion ways by a zillion vendors.  Open 
Look is not Mac is not Motif is not any of the dissimilar Windows interfaces. 
  A mouse is not a pen on a tablet is not a trackball is not a 
retinal-tracking device.  The WIMP interface is one of many, and not the only 
one in production use; command line remains strong and will never go away.

> the Java-style virtual machine, 

A subject of huge controversy, as evidenced by the vehement C++ vs. C#/Java 
religious wars.  Not a clear winner; certainly not the one "true, correct" 
execution model.

> models was so intuitively right that they persisted despite the fact

... that to this day many viable alternatives exist and remain competitive 
with these so called "true, correct" ways.

> that many of the early implementations were unacceptable. Of course,
> those historical milestones do not contradict your second sentence.

Nor the first.  Every single example you cited is one of several solutions to 
a given problem, e.g., issuing commands to the computer.  In each case, the 
alternative solutions are more viable for certain scenarios, and remain 
popular to this day.  Every single one is realized differently by different 
vendors.  None of them are likely to remain the best practice for the 
foreseeable future.  Each and every example you cited supports the thesis that 
there has yet to be found any one "true, correct" solution in software 
engineering.

-- 
Lew

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Designing a structure for "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
  Re: Designing a structure "Ed Prochak" <ed.prochak@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
    Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
      Re: Designing a structure "Martin Gregorie" <martin.gregorie@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
        Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Ed Prochak" <ed.prochak@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Arved Sandstrom" <arved.sandstrom@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
      Re: Designing a structure "Ed Prochak" <ed.prochak@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
        Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Lew" <lew@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
            Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
              Re: Designing a structure "David Cressey" <david.cressey@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
                Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
              Re: Designing a structure "Lew" <lew@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
                Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
                Re: Designing a structure "Ed Prochak" <ed.prochak@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
                Re: Designing a structure "Lew" <lew@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
                Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
            Re: Designing a structure "Gene Wirchenko" <gene.wirchenko@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Roedy Green" <roedy.green@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
  Re: Designing a structure "ram" <ram@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
    Re: Designing a structure "Arved Sandstrom" <arved.sandstrom@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
      Re: Designing a structure "ram" <ram@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
        Re: Designing a structure "Arved Sandstrom" <arved.sandstrom@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Lew" <lew@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
      Re: Designing a structure "David Segall" <david.segall@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
        Re: Designing a structure "Marco" <marco@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
          Re: Designing a structure "Arved Sandstrom" <arved.sandstrom@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000
  Re: Designing a structure "Marco" <marco@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:21 +0000

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