Re: EAV (Re: Object-relational impedence)

"topmind" <topmind_at_technologist.com> wrote in message news:a39a2bfd-de5a-4aac-ae2a-e942e99006b8_at_d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

> If the customer wants the ability to add new columns without
> programmer or DBA intervention, we should have technology that can
> deliver that. "It's not good for you" is NOT an acceptable answer.

My response to this is from the mudpits of practice, and NOT from the ivory towers of theory.

WHENEVER a customer demands the ability to add new columns without programmer or DBA intervention, the same customer will ALWAYS demand a reporting capability that can only be delivered by managing the data and keeping the data definitions under control.

It doesn't matter how many times you explain to the customer that if he can add columns to the database at will, the semantics of those columns are beyond the knowledge of the existing reports. You can explain this early in the game or late in the game. It doesn't matter. The customer will ALWAYS hold you at fault for not being able to deliver the same capability with dynamically redefined data that you could formerly deliver with controlled data.

So, if you can figure a way to hold your customers accountable for the consequences of their own actions, be my guest. But you have been warned: beyond here there be dragons. Received on Tue Mar 25 2008 - 19:45:53 CET