Exploring Models Design and Structure

July, 1997

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Classes and instances
• Why reconfigure at all?
• Models and outlines
• Thinking about a design
• A model for a t-shirt collection
  • The class name is first
  • Class name vs. instance names
  • Labels define the outline
  • Fields contain data
  • Models, data input, and data display
  • Sets
  • Sets and vectors
  • The UNIQUE modifier
  • Lists and the REPEAT modifier
  • Branching lists
  • labels as data I
  • labels as data II
  • labels as field headings
  • one-way connections between classes
  • connections can create objects
  • two-way connections between classes
  • two-way connections using XREF
  • asymmetric XREFs
  • symmetric XREFs
  • connecting two objects in the same class
  • problems with connections
  • constructed types
  • constructed types: additional details
  • Text, ?Text and ?Keyword
  • ?LongText and format
  • ?LongText and hypertext
• Special topics
  • Inserting comments into objects
  • Using DateType
  • Creating subclasses
  • The attach (@) mechanism
  • Models syntax and violations
  • Magic tags
  • Using constraints
  • Built-in classes
  • Null values
• APPENDICES
  • I. Setting up a "throwaway" database
  • II. wspec and the configuration process
  • III. data entry
  • IV. The acediff utility
  • V. Context-Sensitive help
  • VI. Session Control and Recovery