INFO 440 - L09 - Election Day 2004
Notes By: Princess, Fortier, and Egaas
Content Modeling

What is a content model?
    > The question: How do you design information?
    > The content domain (information space) is the overall universe of content.
        - A well crafter triple can lead easily into a content domain, See Example:
            * TRIPLE: By delivering course and program information to Informatics students  we will be able to better prepare our students for their future jobs and degrees because they will be able to focus more on the subject matter of the curriculum and less on the logistics of their degree.
            * DOMAIN STATEMENT: All the information students need to prepare them for their jobs and their education.
    > Content types are major categories of content. (e.g. Database Table)
        - Our best guess on how information works
        - Elements are the major information constituents of a content type. 
        - Element types and allowed values specify what information is allowed to go into each element.
    > Access structures specify how you want the content you manage to be organized.
        - major categories
        - schema

Data models
    > Picture of DB Schema
    > Something called course, so we have something to do with schools. They have aims and subject manner. They can have many aims and these can be assigned to many courses. Furthermore they are not a flat structure, they are a hierarchy. They have aims and sub-aims. Aim table has second level categories.
    > This is a model of reality.
    > Is it reasonable?
        - It depends on what use
    > Second picture is the schema that drives the website for this class


Content vs. Data models
    > The data model is what we have to work with

What do you model
    > In an ideal world you'd start from a blank slate
    > In the real world you have the stuff already
    > You model what you've got!
    > In addition to what you have is also the stuff that the should have. Things that are critical to meeting the goals of your triple and organization. What is on paper that needs to be in this system. You need to do some of your own thinking to see what should be included.
    > You make it all fit together

What is a content type ?
    > Not what they are about, but what they are
    > A named model of a type of information
        - Course, requirement, FAQ
    > A set of rules 
        - “Must have” parts, “can have” parts, etc.
    > A “template” for creating content
        - A way to create regular and standardized content.

Content elements
    > In database terms, a field, tuple, or column
    > Elements are the subparts of a content type
        - Name
        - Required
        - Min and max number
        - Constraints on the what you put in it
    > They are a container

Seeing a content type on a Web page
Let’s find some
    > articles
    > polls
    > comment
    > quotation
    > images
    > navigation
    > sitemap
    > obituary
    > list of links (blogroll)
    > advertisements
    > addresses

What is a content domain?
    > Differentiates: Does it belong or not?
    > Clarifies: Knowing your domain, your range of content should be immediately understandable 
    > Confines: prevents content creep
    ? What one or two sentences fully summarize and capture the nature of the content in the types? 
    ? What few questions clearly put a piece of content within or outside the domain?

Access structures
    > What do they do?
        - They organize
        - They’re structures
        - They aid access
        - They depend on divided content
    > What are they?
        - Hierarchies
        - Indexes
        - Xrefs
        - Sequences
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