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A pick-list constraint problem...

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    #1

    A pick-list constraint problem...

    Experts-

    Please assist with this constraint problem. (Here I'm simplifying the problem that I described in the longer post linked-to at the link at the end of this message.)

    Suppose I have the following tables to support a web application that allows members of an organization to sign up for activities. The activities that a member is allowed to sign up for is constrained by the activities "enabled" for the group that the member belongs to. The table relationships are:

    SIGNUP <-- MEMBER --> GROUP --> GROUP-ACTIVITY <-- ACTIVITY

    (the arrows point to the "many" in one-to-many relationships.)

    Suppose we have:
    1. 2 records in table GROUP: group_a and group_b.
    2. 2 records in table ACTIVITY: hiking and biking.
    3. For group_a, there is one record child record in GROUP-ACTIVITY. This record links it to the activity hiking. group_b has no records in GROUP-ACTIVITY.
    4. We have 2 people in table MEMBER: member_a and member_b.
    5. member_a belongs to group_a, and member_b belongs to group_b.


    When member_a goes to sign up for an activity (by adding a record to child table SIGNUP), I only want member_a to be able to sign up for hiking. I don't even want member_a to SEE the biking activity in the signup interface.

    My problem is that I'm not sure how to approach this problem. My best guess is that I could make a single set that includes all these tables and then somehow leverage the set to set constraints on members' activities choices, but I'm not sure how to do this or even if the single set is the best approach. Your help is much appreciated!

    -Kurt





    The problem in detail is here:

    https://forum.alphasoftware.com/showthread.php?t=76582
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: A pick-list constraint problem...

    I'm pretty sure I don't understand the context completely, but maybe this will get the discussion rolling in the right direction.

    Assuming the SIGNUP table contains fields:
    Member name & id
    Group id
    Activity name

    It seems to me that you wouldn't need a set at all. The data entry form would be based on the SIGNUP table, alone.

    The Member name and id fields could be populated by table lookup field rule with MEMBER table being the source lookup table.

    The Group_id field could be populated by table lookup field rule with the GROUP table being the source lookup table

    Assuming your data entry form fills in the Group_id field before focus shifts to the Activity_name field, the Activity_name field could be populated by a "filtered" table lookup field rule with the ACTIVITY table being the source lookup table. The filter would limit the display of records in the ACTIVITY table that correspond to the Group_id field in the current SIGNUP table record. [Naturally this assumes that each ACTIVITY table record would include a field for the Group_id to which the given activity corresponds. I infer this is the case from the description of the problem.]

    In summary, viewed from the perspective of the SIGNUP table, the other three tables are simply lookup sources. I would think of them as supporting tables, needed to populate transactions in the SIGNUP table.

    -- tom

    Comment

      #3
      Re: A pick-list constraint problem...

      Tom- Thanks for your reply. Some clarifications:

      Assume the initial work flow is:
      1. The administrator inputs a bunch of activity records in the ACTIVITY table (completed with activity_name).
      2. The Administrator inputs a number of groups in the GROUPS table (complete with group_names).
      3. The Administrator assigns a different set of activities for each group. (Some activities are participated in by members from multiple groups.)
      4. The Administrator inputs a number of members in the MEMBERS table (complete with member_names), including one member of each group thats designated as group leader.
      5. A group leader logs in and is presented with the names of the people in his group.
      6. He selects one of those members, and then a window pops up displaying related records in the SIGNUP table, which includes the activities that the member has already signed up for and presents the ability to add and remove activities for that user.

      It seems to me that the SIGNUP table need only contain these fields:
      signup_id
      member_id
      activity_id

      I'm not familiar with the A5 methodology, but I don't think we need to have activity_name and group_name fields in the SIGNUP table. But my current thinking and problems are:

      When a member is selected from, say, a browse in the signup window, the list of signed-up-for activities appears, whereby if a SIGNUP record for an activity for the user exists in the SIGNUP table, that activity is displayed for the user. (Perhaps to display the activity name rather than the activity_id, I'd have to add the lookup field to SIGNUP that you wrote about.) My main question is that when the circle leader goes to ADD a member to an activity, I want the pick list to include only those activites that 1) the member hasn't already signed up for AND, 2) the member is allowed to sign up for by virtue of his group membership.

      I hope this clarifies my issue. Your response just now might still apply -- I admit I'm a bit confused by it, probably since I'm not a A5 master yet.

      THANKS!

      -Kurt
      (whew!)

      Comment

        #4
        Re: A pick-list constraint problem...

        Tom- I should have specified that this signup application is meant for the web. Keith pointed out that the lack of response from my earlier post was because I should have posted the question on the app server forum.

        I don't know that much about A5, but if the solution would be sufficiently similar (from a logic and field config point of view) as a desktop app, perhaps your continued comments would be useful. Plz advise.

        Thanks!!!

        Comment

          #5
          Re: A pick-list constraint problem...

          Sorry. I'm a complete noob on the web side, so I'll bow out to make room for others to chime in. -- tom

          Comment

            #6
            Re: A pick-list constraint problem...

            Hi Kurt,

            I have made a suggestion here I know this is going back and forth, but as you said the logic is the same.

            If you can get it to work on the desktop then we should be able to get it to work on the web too.
            Regards
            Keith Hubert
            Alpha Guild Member
            London.
            KHDB Management Systems
            Skype = keith.hubert


            For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

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