with civicrm we've gone back-n-forth with what model to use for various settings. We store all settings in the DB (makes it easier to configure/tweak/translate etc). However, we ended up going down the road of creating different tables for each setting (quite a few of the tables share the same code). Probably the big factor was the minor variation each setting had which needed to be accomodated rather than shoe-horned into one generic table. a good example is: most settings just need: name , is_active, is_reserved a few like state/country also need additional attributes like: abbreviate, country_id (for state) idd_prefix, ndd_prefix (dialing code prefixes for country), iso_code etc ultimately we decided to go with seperate tables. In retrospect, i would probably combine the table for the generic case (which we'll probably do in 1.4) which match the need exactly and keep the specific ones in seperate tables lobo --- Allie Micka <allie@pajunas.com> wrote:
I think discussed adding "domains" to the variable table a while back on this list.
Yes,. It was actually the first test DEP that I wrote. You can probably search the mailing list for it.
I admit I didn't take the time to absorb it fully, but It seems that the cascading variable system is about values and overriding them (think vertical), where the lookup stuff is more about segmenting/ grouping data (think horizontal)
I could be convinced that they're the same thing, but right now I feel like they're different. Storing states/countries/etc in lookup makes it a completely separate function from variables. But I considered storing expensive module settings here, got into a grey area, and came here for advice.
To clarify, my main goal is to store settings while reducing memory consumption by not loading values on every page load. I'm inclined to go with a component module for now as a proof of concept, but input on making my strategy more generic/core-friendly is welcome.
Mostly, I need to finish up these dependent modules soon, and I'd rather move forward than discuss it ad nauseum. With this list's input, I hope to move forward in a more informed/holistic way.
I look forward to seeing you in february. I am seeing you in febs ,right ?
I'm sure gonna try!
Allie Micka pajunas interactive, inc. http://www.pajunas.com
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