> We have an application that allows users to specify (at initial setup time) > to specify what kind of metadata they want to enter when they work with > digital media within the application. For example, one user may want to > upload a bunch of Word doc files and then enter a set of metadata (say > Title, Description, Source, Location, etc.). Another user may want to enter > a combination of images, docs and movie files and then enter a different set > of metadata (say Title, Description, Period, Style, Location, Dates, > Sequence, etc.) If we go the traditional database route, this would involve > lots of dynamically named fields which I envision as really messy. We think > that storing these individual metadata sets as XML data (keyed to ID fields > in the db) would be the way to go. Does anybody have any > experience/thoughts on this approach?
I think the key question is, what are you going to use the metadata for? If you are going to want to use metadata fields for searching/sorting/analysis, I would go with the traditional database route. This is what we do in our CMS. A little complicated maybe - you need a lot of tables to get a really flexible solution - but not messy. If the metadata of each set of objects is of interest only as a sort of guide to that set of objects in isolation once retrieved from the repository, and particularly since you mention Sequence, then your idea is a bit reminiscent of a "manifest" file that you attach to objects in an object packaging scheme like IMS Content Packaging, which is a desperately complicated e-learning interoperability standard but you might be interested in some of the concepts: http://www.imsproject.org/content/packaging/cpinfo10.html http://www.imsproject.org/metadata/mdbest01.html Nick ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:245054 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
