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User directory
Sitewide administrator directory
Subsite administrator directory
TCL script directory
Data model
PL/SQL file
ER diagram
Transaction flow diagram
User directory
Sitewide administrator directory
Subsite administrator directory
TCL script directory
Data model
PL/SQL file
ER diagram
Transaction flow diagram
Almost all database-backed websites have users, and need to model the grouping of users. The OpenACS 4 Parties and Groups system is intended to provide the flexibility needed to model complex real-world organizational structures, particularly to support powerful subsite services; that is, where one OpenACS installation can support what appears to the user as distinct web services -for different user communities.
The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it +for different user communities.
The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it restricts the application developer to representing a "flat group" that contains only users: The user_groups table may contain the group_id of a parent group, but parent-child relationship @@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ (e.g., a row with a scope value of "group" but a null group_id)
perform extra checks in Tcl and PL/SQL functions and procedures to check both the user_id and -group_id values
The core of the Group Systems data model is quite simple, but it was designed in the hopes of modeling "real world" organizations which can be complex graph structures. The Groups System only considers groups that can be modeled using directed acyclic graphs, but queries over these @@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ without making the system too complex or too slow. The added triggers, views, and tables and will increase storage requirements and the insert and delete times in an effort to speed access time. The limited flexibility (no updates -on membership) trades against the complexity of the code.
The Group System data model consists of the following tables:
The Group System data model consists of the following tables:
The set of all defined parties: any person, user, or group must have a corresponding row in this table.
The set of direct membership relationships between a group and a party.
A mapping of a party P to the groups -{Gi}the party is a member of; this mapping +
A mapping of a party P to the groups +{Gi}the party is a member of; this mapping includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id from the membership_rels table.
The set of direct component relationships between a group and another group.
A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups -{Gi} that G is a component of; +
A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups +{Gi} that G is a component of; this mapping includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.
New groups are created through the group.new constructor. When a specialized type of group is required, the group type can be extended @@ -116,26 +116,26 @@
A person may appear in the group member map multiple times, for example, by being a member of two different groups that are both components of a third -group. This view is strictly a mapping of approved members +group. This view is strictly a mapping of approved members to groups.
A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups -{Gi} group G is a component of; +
A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups +{Gi} group G is a component of; this mapping includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.
A mapping of a party P to the set of parties -{Pi} party P is a member +
A mapping of a party P to the set of parties +{Pi} party P is a member of.
A mapping of a party P to the set of parties -{Pi} party P is an -approved member of.
The API consists of tables and views and PL/SQL functions. -
The group_types table is used to create new types of groups.
The group_member_map, group_approved_member_map, +
The group_types table is used to create new types of groups.
The group_member_map, group_approved_member_map, group_distinct_member_map, group_component_map, party_member_map, and party_approved_member_map views are -used to query group membership and composition.
Person
person.new creates a new person and returns the +used to query group membership and composition.
Person
person.new creates a new person and returns the person_id. The function must be given the full name of the person in two pieces: first_names and last_name. All other fields are optional and default to null except for object_type which defaults @@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ function person.name ( person_id persons.person_id%TYPE ) return varchar; -
User
acs_user.new creates a new user and returns the user_id. +
User
acs_user.new creates a new user and returns the user_id. The function must be given the user's email address and the full name of the user in two pieces: first_names and last_name. All other fields are optional. The interface for this function is:
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ procedure acs_user.unapprove_email ( user_id users.user_id%TYPE ); -
Group
acs_group.new creates a new group and returns the +
Group
acs_group.new creates a new group and returns the group_id. All fields are optional and default to null except for object_type which defaults to 'group', creation_date which defaults to sysdate, and @@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ group_id groups.group_id%TYPE, party_id parties.party_id%TYPE, ) return char; -
Membership Relationship
membership_rel.new creates a new membership relationship type +
Membership Relationship
membership_rel.new creates a new membership relationship type between two parties and returns the relationship type's rel_id. All fields are optional and default to null except for rel_type which defaults to membership_rel. The interface for this function is:
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ procedure membership_rel.delete ( rel_id membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE ); -
Composition Relationship
composition_rel.new creates a new composition relationship type +
Composition Relationship
composition_rel.new creates a new composition relationship type and returns the relationship's rel_id. All fields are optional and default to null except for rel_type which defaults to composition_rel. The interface for this function is:
@@ -295,10 +295,10 @@ procedure membership_rel.delete ( rel_id composition_rels.rel_id%TYPE ); -
| Document Revision # | Action Taken, Notes | When? | By Whom? |
| 0.1 | Creation | 08/22/2000 | Rafael H. Schloming |
| 0.2 | Initial Revision | 08/30/2000 | Mark Thomas |
| 0.3 | Additional revisions; tried to clarify membership/compostion | 09/08/2000 | Mark Thomas |
| Document Revision # | Action Taken, Notes | When? | By Whom? |
| 0.1 | Creation | 08/22/2000 | Rafael H. Schloming |
| 0.2 | Initial Revision | 08/30/2000 | Mark Thomas |
| 0.3 | Additional revisions; tried to clarify membership/compostion | 09/08/2000 | Mark Thomas |