RE: when to use a function or file for information

Hi David

Well, originally, you wrote:

So, if the flag were dependent upon say, the client type, I could have :

clientFlag = getClientFlag ( clientType )

and in getClientFlag :

If clientType = TYPE_THIS....etc
If clientType = TYPE_THAT....etc

Maybe the names you chose gave me the wrong idea but for any kind of look up
like this I would almost never do it in code, I'd have a table instead (by
table I mean a physical file so there's no misunderstanding).

In your example you would set up a table that had the client type and the
flag so in your getClientFlag function you'd simply look up the client type
and return the flag.

ClientType CHAIN ClientTypes

Or

SELECT clientFlag from ClientTypes WHERE TYPE = ?

There's no hard coding because you simply add any new client flags to the
table.

That said, I really don't get the distinction between a type and a flag if
it's a one to one relationship - presumably this is a too simplistic example
that's gone bad.

Regards
Evan Harris


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David FOXWELL
Sent: Wednesday, 24 March 2010 10:45 p.m.
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: when to use a function or file for information

-----Message d'origine-----
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] De la part de Evan Harris

Don't you see any resemblance to a *table* there at all ?

No. Feel free to enlighten me.