Class name vs instance names

?TShirt is the name of this class but not of its instances (see Classes and instances above). In other words, when it is time to populate the database with real information about t-shirts, each individual t-shirt will need to be named so that the database can distinguish one from another.

How does one name a t-shirt? (How does one name anything?) There are many possible schemes, the simplest of which is to assign each t-shirt a serial number. But more meaningful names might be preferred. If you were constructing a class called ?Gene you would probably want to use the gene symbols that are already in use. Similarly for a ?Person class you would probably want to use people's real names. Whatever method is adopted, the important goal is to avoid ambiguity. The database will not distinguish two members of a class if they have the same name; instead, it will attempt to merge their data.

Which part of the model actually corresponds the ?Tshirt name? If you think of the model as defining a generic outline with blank fields for data, then the object name will be substituted for the class name when an object is created.

Object names are those listed in the ACEDB selection list when you click on a class name in the main window. Here are some members of a Contact class (for personal information):

The rules defining legal names for classes and tags are more strict than the ones governing object names. See the section on syntax at the end of the tutorial.


Show me the whole t-shirt model again.

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