Party Model and subtypes of a subtype

Questions
,
21

Yes, I know. I did not really specify the purpose, but that is partly because I want to experiment and see, how the Party Model works and what it can do.

Regarding my solution:
It is a solution for an organisation that deals with day care for children („Tagesmütter“ as you are from Switzerland).
At the moment it can/should manage two aspects:

  • Training courses (in the framework of coninuing education)

    • courses (general information, dates,...)
    • speakers
    • attendees
    • costs for those courses (and which internal department bears them)
    • ...

  • Internships

    • available places for internships
    • applicants (students from the local schhols)
    • interns (tracking of visits by tutor, evaluation, comments,...)

But as I said: I expect it to grow an manage almost everything the organisation does. I could imagine the following:

  • Relations between people (child, mother, father, siblings, carer) to represent the day care situation
    • Which child is cared for by which carer?
    • Who are the child's parents?
    • Who are its siblings?
    • ...
  • Management of the carers/caring places
    • contact information
    • schedules
    • available places for new children
    • ...
  • Material for the carers (baby cribs, toys,...)
    • inventory
    • a kind of lending system (which item is with which person?)
    • ...
  • Management of administration staff
    • working hours
    • diplomae
    • evaluation
    • ...

As this might get really big and complex I wanted to use a flexible data model and had a look into the Party Model.
Of course I could also just use a standard approach and create "normal" tables. I am not sure if I am creating a complex model with a lot of flexibility and options or if I am only making it too complex.

That is exactly my problem. I could do it this way or that way or even another way and I can not make up my mind or try to understand what the differences are. Maybe I should continue to experiment with different scenarios and see if I want to put those records (using "from" and "thru") into PartyRole or PartyRelation. But I guess there comes a point where I should stop pondering... :wink:

Very true, but surely not my strength. I am anxious of picking a pattern that turns out to be too simple further down the road.

22

Excellent, this makes things much clearer!
I happen to have rolled out a solution for a language school earlier this year and may be able to provide a suggestion for the 'training courses part' over the weekend.

1 Like
23

That is very kind of you, but this is the part that I have already completed with a standard approach. :slight_smile: