Systems get harder to learn when there are seemingly multiple ways to do things. It's not always clear that alternatives are really optional, or if different parameter conventions are needed in different situations.
I had a little trouble learning parts of the DAL, for example, when it's not clear which was required, and even which was preferred between: db(mytable).select() db.select(mytable.ALL) Yeah, one way to do things, even if it takes extra effort 20% of the time, is probably better if you want new users to still come in as web2py continues to evolve. On Nov 6, 5:00 pm, Mariano Reingart <reing...@gmail.com> wrote: > I don't think it's a good idea to add that to web2py core because: > > * It introduces a new free-form table definition that we'll have to > honor for backward compatibility forever > * It breaks too much forward compatibility (forcing unknown version > updates for new field "types" like wiki) > * it could not be syntactically checked (a new problem to detect > simple errors, like in views) > * it will cause more troubles to static checkers or future > autocomplete/calltip implementations > * it will make even harder lazy table definition, migrations and fixtures > * it adds more overhead to models > * it doesn't get along with source control management tools, diff, > pep-8 (80 char lines), etc. > * its may be useful for simple tables, but what about you want to put > an update function, complex default, widget or validator? > * python zen: "There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious > way to do it." > > For a wizard i think it may be useful because there is more freedom to > change things, but here I don't find a good reason. > Indeed, for wizard I would prefer more explicit dropdown fields, that > would be more intuitive to begginers. > > Best regards, > > Mariano Reingarthttp://www.sistemasagiles.com.arhttp://reingart.blogspot.com > > On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 1:56 AM, mdipierro <mdipie...@cs.depaul.edu> wrote: > > You could mix but not this way. > > > db.define_table('person','name unique, address, married boolean, bio > > wiki') > > db.person.bio.default='...' > > > On Nov 5, 10:04 pm, rochacbruno <rochacbr...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> bio wiki will be a Markmin represent? > > >> I think it is a good idea, but , if mixed with the normal sintax, will it > >> work? > > >> Some users, specially students, will try to mix for example: > > >> > db.define_table('person','name unique, address, married boolean, bio > >> > wiki',Field('foo','text'), format=' ' , migrate=' ' , compute= ' ' , > >> > signature) > > >> This could difficult the learning curve of DAL > > >> Enviado via iPhone > > >> Em 06/11/2010, às 00:53, mdipierro <mdipie...@cs.depaul.edu> escreveu: > > >> > We could easily provide this alternative syntax: > > >> > db.define_table('person','name unique, address, married boolean, bio > >> > wiki') > >> > form = SQLFORM.factory('name unique, address, married boolean, bio > >> > wiki') > > >> > by taking it out of the wizard and moving into the DAL (sql.py). Is it > >> > a good idea? > >
