Webclient: Assist users in changing AssociationTypes/ RoleTypes

[Malte]

Consider the following Scenario:

A user connects a "Person" with an "Institution". After selecting the Association it is clearly rendered (in the Info-Panel that) the resp. RoleType?'s the "Person" and the "Institution" do play in this particular Association. Those seem to be set automatically by dm4, which is, as i think OK and convenient as some kind of default behavior.

The problems start when all the RoleTypes? dm4 sets automatically do not show up in the ComboBox? of an Association-Info-Rendering while "Editing" an Association, thus those cannot be re-selected by the Info-Renderer/User? and when one just wants to change the AssociationType? but not the "RoleTypes?", the user inevitably overwrites the default "RoleTypes?" set by dm4 with those available (which are solely those introduced by the typeEditor-Plugin).

The case is: In an application scenario a custom "AssociationTypes?" is introduced but after one connected e.g. a "Person" with an "Instituion", one is not able to change the type of that particular association (to any custom type) without overwriting the Roles for each Topic with RoleTypes? solely used by the TypeEditor?-Plugin. Sorry for not being able to wrap this in better terms, but if you try to do this and you shall be able to reproduce the problem we had.

Trivial Solution: A user can re-type the "AssociationType?" of the selected Association in the (first form field) of the Info-Panel and the Role's each particular topic plays in this assocation remain unaffected in case of an unchanged form-value.

Major Solution: a) Introduce a set of common (maybe based on available TopicTypes?, maybe not) "RoleTypes?" and b) think of a filter mechanism / interaction method which allows the selection of one out of 100+ entries in a rendered Info-Field.

[jri]

I understand exactly what you mean and see the problem too.
It will be fixed in 4.0.1 very soon.
A new role type "Default" will be introduced.

[jri]

This is fixed in version 4.0.1

When updating from 4.0 one issue remains: In DeepaMehta 4.0.1 the data model has slightly changed: Topic types are never used as role types anymore. Instead the new role type "Default" is used. The existing 4.0 type definitions in the DB are not migrated. However, the 4.0.1 application code is compatible with the 4.0 model.

Affected are the following association semantics:

• Core: data type assignment of a topic/association type
• Core: index mode assignment of a topic/association type
• Topicmaps: topic/association assignments of a topicmap
• Workspaces: topic/type assignments of a workspace

CAUTION when editing such an association that was created with 4.0:
In this situation you must set role type "Default" manually for the correct association end.
Otherwise the respective association gets corrupted.

A 4.0.1 clean install is recommended.