Custom Project > Structure

What I'd like to do here is lay out the structure of the project. Below is an example I created explaning the structure of Gaboons.com. Lee, can you lay out a preliminary design for your project?

Lee's Structure

As I thought about the project structure I realized that just specifying a layout for one project like the Gaboons.com layout below would not serve the goal I was looking to achieve. I'll try to explain the idea and provide a structure as a way to visualize a use for the approach.

This project needs a generic way to describe colllections of data. A way to form collections of objects. A collection or container of objects that we can reference any data type or other collection object from within the collection, apply a template and produce the page. Maybe this is the intent of the Admin Panel beta tools. I am just not sure how to use them to produce the collection.

I am specifically trying to tie in visual resources (maps, geo tags, icons, photos and videos) with data resources like ratings, facts, addresses, dates, times, calendar, names, links or really any data we decide has meaning to a collection.

At the moment I am focused on a map centric approach but this should not be the limting factor. With collection or container objects that inherit the various other data types we should be able to manage the container with relationship logic that defines the character of the container. We need to be able to create data relationships, have alias names, collection logic and collection specific templates.

Any collection can contain other collections or data. A minimal collection would be nothing more then a record in a table. The greater collection would have relationships to multiple databases, multiple tables, and 0,1 or more multiple records from each table.

There are infinet variations on structures but lets look at a structure that might be applied to a map centric site.

Collections
- Visual Collections (Master Controller)
   - People collection
   - Location collection
   - Calendar collection
   - Map collection
   - Directory collection
   - Photo collection
   - Video collection
   - Widget collection
   - visual template collection

- People collection
  - Location collection
  - People info

- Location Collection
   - street address
   - post code
   - city
   - country
   - state
   - geo tag ( lon, lat, gps etc)
   - location specfic notes1
   - location specific notes2
   - weather link
   - misc
   - this could be many many entries

- Calendar collection
  - days, weeks, months, years
  - events, schedules, appointments

- map collection
  - google maps and other mapping
  - geoRSS
  - geoTAG
  - kml creation for Google Earth
  - routes
  - directions

- Directory collection
  - directory types
  - Previous Dir relationship link(s)
  - Next Dir relationship Link(s)

- Photo collection
  - Photo album
  - photo specs
  - photo links
  - photoRSS
  - geoTAGs

- Video collection
  - Video ID
  - Video album
  - Video specs
  - Video links
  - VideoRSS
  - geoTAGs

- Widget collection
  - widget link / location
  - widget parms
  - widget requirements
  - widget type (ajax, flash, silver light, air etc)
  - widget name

- Template collection
   - visual template
   - Owner template
   - Location template
   - Calendar  template
   - Map  template
   - Directory  template
   - Photo  template
   - Video  template
   - Widget  template

The idea here is that a "visual master control collection" would be the root access to all data. All data in the collection would be related.

We might want to show a map of Paris, France with our locations data specific to Paris. visual_collection.map_collection.country[france].city[paris] and visual_collection.location_collection.country[france].city[paris].*

We might want to play a video related to Paris, France. video id (visual_collection.video_collection.geoTAG.video_id[0])to be played by a video player Widget (visual_collection.widget_collection.name["Flash Album Player Widget"]).

User Interaction

Using the structure above I would like to display a map of the world with icons showing visual collections. As I drill down thru the map more and more detail is exposed on the map. mousing over the icons pops a baloon showing details. The user should have options to turn on and off specific detail.

The map should have least the navigation that is shown on the map implementation now. Also each drill down step should have google earth kml, geoTAGs, and geoRSS feed links for each view as you navigate the map.

Admin User Control

Admin features to import and export mass data as well as add, change, delete.

User and admin pages for managing the collections.

Search

Search features on the data that would show search results on and as maps.

Lee

Gaboons.com Structure

Gaboons.com
  - Events
      - Location (City, State, Country)
      - Date
      - Event Type ("Marathon","Duathlon","Triathlon" ... )
      - Map (a link to a map for this event)
      - Event Website (external link)
      - Description (wiki markup area)
      - Similar Events (links to directories related to this event)

  - Event Maps
      - Date (see events)
      - Event Type (see events)
      - Map

  - Directory (Built on Events)
      These are events with upcoming dates
      - Structure: Country > State > Event Type
      
  - Directory (Built on Events)
      These are events with past dates
      - Structure: Country > State > Event Type

Last modified 18:37 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 by Main. Accessed 568 times Children What Links Here Share Except where expressly noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.