From: Sam Duncan <sduncan@...>
Date: 2011-02-09T04:42:27+09:00
Subject: Re: Choosing an office suite

The first thing I would do for something like this (taking the pragmatic 
approach), is design your information schema. You need to design (not 
code) your schema such that it provides the kind of analysis you are 
after with the least amount of work. It also needs to be flexible in the 
sense that you will inevitably want to start storing new kinds of 
information, and analysing the data you have in new ways. The data is, 
after all, the basis and purpose of your application.

Whatever you decide to do it in, and I am guessing you will end up with 
a conventional relational and hopefully free database, you can assume 
that it will be comprised of tables. Tables will contain fields. The 
tables and their fields will represent some encapsulation of an entity. 
The tables, and the fields therein, will have relationships with other 
tables and their fields which will provide you with the basis for your 
analysis and reporting.

If you are looking to roll your sleeves up and actually get started, do 
so at the data end. In that scope the collection, presentation, and 
reporting layers are largely irrelevant, that is to say; your data store 
shouldn't really care what is accessing it. Avoid the IDE and framework 
religious wars, don't bother with logos and About Us pages. Dive into 
your data store schema with a pencil and a notepad today. Anybody here 
who has used a database of some kind (and there appear to be plenty), 
will be able to help you turn your sketch into a real implementable 
schema. Of course, you will inevitably have to wade through ever more 
esoteric hooha about the specifics of that implementation ;]

Pretty much I'm saying that I'm not a rocket scientist, and if I wanted 
to build a rocket, I would intuitively start with determining how I 
would power it.

Sam


On 09/02/11 05:12, Hilary Bailey wrote:
> What I want to create is a product that is computer accessible, that is
> similar to a teacher's Grade Keeper, but goes farther by adding defined
> info from principals, guidance counselors, lunch provision for students,
> etc.. The reason for this approach is that this will now allow more
> complete view of a what impacts a child.
>
> Therefore, the daily entry of data from all participants (teachers,
> principals, security, janitors, etc...) will give an analyzer a wider
> set of defined parameter inputed data to access, then analyze. The
> problem is where to start. I read a book on Ruby, some say that my next
> step is to play with scripts, alter some commands and then test such
> adjustments. The problems is to follow a logical sequence of learning.
> For example, since i use Windows 7, have installed Ruby 1.9.2 p.136 and
> Rails, Vim7.2, and LibreOffice 3.3. and saved info to htmldog.com from
> which HTML&  CSS can be learned.
>
> I know very well that it will take me some time, however, now where do I
> start? Should I star with htmldog tutorials, then open Rails along with
> vim7.2, then the next stage will be to explore SQlite, then MYSQL, while
> having LibreOffice Base as a source of reference?
>
> In terms of distribution, giving it away free will not be taken
> seriously by current educational administrators and policy makers. It
> suits me to market it and if successful, support this community plus
> other social causes of choice.
>
> So based on all that have been said, where, specifically (if possible)
> go from here in creating such a product.
>
>