Re: [topicmaps-comment] mapping topic maps on a relation database

[Lars Marius Garshol <larsga@garshol.priv.no>]

* Thomas B. Passin
| 
| An association would map to a row in a table,and each role would map
| to a column in the role.  Of course, this would only make sense if
| there were many associations built to the same template.

Basically, it only makes sense if you have a strict schema and a topic
map that conforms to it. The Ontopia Schema Language (OSL) was
designed to allow just this.

| This leaves open three points:
| 
| 1) How to determine the primary key of the table

I would make an ID column for the table. It gets too messy otherwise.

| 2) How to handle multiple role-playing topics with the same role

That one is tricky. It's also tricky in querying, regardless of how
you store your topic map. I need to work this one out, but haven't had
time yet.

| 3) How much normalization to apply

Not sure I understand what you mean here. Could you explain?
(Normalization could mean so many things.)

-- 
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian         <URL: http://www.ontopia.net >
ISO SC34/WG3, OASIS GeoLang TC        <URL: http://www.garshol.priv.no >