Re: [pilot-db-list] record display/layout hints

[Scott W. <swa...@my...>]

>matching entry field. It would be nice to at the very least have
>"headers" which would group items. For example, if I'm converting a
>paper form that has a layout like this:

>Foo
>  Number  ___
>  Size    ___
>  Quality ___
>
>Bar
>  Number  ___
>  Size    ___
>  Quality ___

	I like this idea, and had been thinking about something fairly
similar. I have a few ideas for you:

	Instead of defining all the headers int the csv file, or when the
database schema is created, it would be cool (and I don't think too hard)
to do this dynamically.

	So if you have some records:
	<name>	<number>  <size> <quality>
	Foo	10	  big	 high
	Foo 	12	  small  low
	Bar	11	  big	 low
	Bar	13	  big	 low

	You could select a field a do some clustering of the records based
on the values in the field.  So, if I wanted to cluster on <name>, the
program would scan its values, and make 2 headers, "Foo" and "Bar".  This
would work great for popup lists, but you could relatively easily extend
it to other fields as well.

	The advantage of this approach is that it doesn't require
thinking about how the data will be displayed when you decide what should
be in each record.

	There is an experimental plugin interface in db, that I have been
looking at a bit lately.  It seems like it supports plugins for new list
views.  I think this would be a great plugin capability, I would
definately use it.

	-Scott