When the Code Fairy attacks!

[elfs]

So, at 4:30 this morning, Code Fairy (that's Muse's geekier sister) comes to me and says, "You know that triangle problem you've got? You know, the one where you can't solve the 'stories have plots, plots have scenes, but stories also have a timeline, and scenes exist within the timeline, but the question is, if the writers wants to put more than one scene at a timepoint, how do you organize that?"

I opened one eye, looked at the clock, and sighed. "Yeah?"

"The big problem is with moving scenes around. An insertion between two existing scenes with sequential IDs would mean a big hit on the server. First, is that solved? I mean, go look for a solution out on the net. Rails has one, it's called acts as list. If not, why don't you make the timeline a list and just store it in the story object as a python object? Django does that automagically. Make the API for story solid for the management of plots and scenes and you're good to go: security, authenication, and object management all in one API. Just make sure you're not Winnebagoing it."

She was wrong about that this morning, I realized: the idea of storing it as a field of the Story object rather than a foreign key, but I'm not sure yet how to do it right. I'll figure it out.

"Secondly," she went on, "You don't have to let users put two scenes at the same timepoint. Really. I don't recommend it. Not as a first pass."

"And third, remember that company that turned you down? Remember your Ben Franklin project? What if..." And then she tossed me an image, godsdammit. A smart, funny, silly idea.

"I don't know anything about Canvas or animation," I protested. "I only know a little about the Facebook API."

She said solemnly, "Maybe it's time you learned." And then she went poof. It took me a long time to get back to sleep.

Comments

[mouser.livejournal.com]

You really need better locks on your doors.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

I thought he used Linux...

[norikos-author.livejournal.com]

You really can't _have_ two scenes happening at the same time; the events they detail may occur concurrently, but you have to put them on the page separately, don't you? So I'd agree that you wouldn't want to put two scenes at the same timepoint....