Re: [Gnumed-devel] Re: Medication viewing

[Karsten Hilbert]

On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 08:36:41AM -0800, Jim Busser wrote:

> How would rows within columns be understood to be anything other
> than "Sorted" since you presumably apply no random function to
> sequence them?

In a relational database rows are by definition stored
unsorted in that at any one time the order rows are returned
is arbitrary unless a specific ordering is explicitely
applied during retrieval.

Physical rows can move around on-disk due to several
circumstances: backup/restore, database maintenance,
updating of row values, deletion of other rows, etc.

> You either fetch them "unsorted" by sequence of raw
> creation

No you can't because of the above. Also, that would NOT be
unsorted - it would be sorted by sequence of creation - as
you correctly point out !

>, which is essentially sorted by datetime

Unless the database engine applies an optimizing re-ordering
to the sequence of actual creation.

> If the list is displayed with its rows sequenced by substance name
> and within substance name by dosis and within dosis by plan what
> would you suggest is the grouping that should be offered? By
> substance?

Yep.

Karsten
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