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    Invelos Forums->DVD Profiler: Desktop Feature Requests Page: 1  Previous   Next
Primary Key in the database
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DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorhevanw
Registered: March 18, 2007
Belgium Posts: 426
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Currently the UPC+Locality is used as the primary key of every database record. The UPC can contain either the UPC/EAN or the DiskID.
This causes a couple of problems:
1. It is not possible to have multiple DVDs with the same UPC (which I have several of). The only way around this, is to add those by DiskID instead of UPC. The profile then doesn't carry the UPC at all.
2. Often, the same DVD (profile) is released in multiple countries. E.g. I live in the dutch speaking part of Belgium and the majority of DVDs we get here are identical to the ones in the Netherlands. As a result, all these DVDs will have identical profiles in Belgium and the Netherlands. That's why I always chose locality Netherlands because there are more people there that use DVD Profiler. The Belgium profiles are rarely up-to-date.

This could easily be solved by using UPC+DiskId as the primary key. I don't think Locality is that useful to have anyway, especially not if the DiskId (of the primary/first disk in a set) is used. The advantage is that in my case people in Belgium and the Netherlands would always be using the same profile.

Note: there is also an advantage to the current system, although it was probably not intended that way. Often, disks and boxes in Belgium carry both the Dutch and French texts/versions. What happens then is that the cover says things like "Alias - Het Complete Vijfde Seizoen - L'Intégrale Saison Cinq" and the back contains both dutch and french summaries. This is AFAIK even the case for the boxes that are sold in the Netherlands. With the current system, the profiles in locality Netherlands only contain the Dutch parts. In locality Belgium, there would be a problem since they would have to carry both languages since Belgium has both a Dutch and a French speaking part... That's another reason why I prefer using locality Netherlands.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantFredLooks
phpDVDProfilerDude D5/7/2
Registered: March 13, 2007
Canada Posts: 350
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This is an interesting idea. I have a question about the user experience.

It has been found that the Disc-ID is a little _too_ unique: by that I mean that there are frequently multiple Disc-ID's for a given release in a market (this may be related to mulitple pressings or physical duplicatrion houses or even runs). How would one associate the multiples, which can currently be hidden by the only-UPC key? Or would you not?

How would a user without a DVD drive add a profile? How would they know which one to pick?

I had another question, but it has slipped my mind ... must not have been important
-fred
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 21,610
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This seems like a non-issue to me Fred. Yes, if we are dealing with Disc ID the user needs Rom Drive. Ken is capturing all the Disc ID possibilities for every title, the only one shown is the last one accepted, but that is a user issue at any rate, as long as your data shows what YOU have, what is Online is irrelevant. Now I have added, as you have no doubt seen the Actual Disc ID data I am entering to my notes, the reason for this is so that if you come back later and add a new Disc ID, I can tell from my notes that my disc ID has been captured by the system and it is unnecessary for me to resubmit.

And repter as my notes explain it is possible and Ken in fact doies it, but he only displays the latest data. As long as YOUR data contains the data for YOU, then what APPEARS online is irrelevant.

Frankly I can't believe that more users have not started mimicking my approach to Disc ID Data for exactly this reason.  Why is everybody always wanting to completely restructure the program. I think perhaps everybody is trying too hard, it REALLY is easy.

Skip
ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
CBE, MBE, MoA and proud of it.
Outta here

Billy Video
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorhevanw
Registered: March 18, 2007
Belgium Posts: 426
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Quoting FredLooks:
Quote:

It has been found that the Disc-ID is a little _too_ unique: by that I mean that there are frequently multiple Disc-ID's for a given release in a market (this may be related to mulitple pressings or physical duplicatrion houses or even runs). How would one associate the multiples, which can currently be hidden by the only-UPC key? Or would you not?


That's an interesting point I was not aware of. The obvious answer would be that the profiles are duplicated (like it is already the case today for multiple profiles). But since they are obviously multiple pressings (the DiskID is in the bits on the disk, so the master is definitely different) there may always be minor changes.

Quote:

How would a user without a DVD drive add a profile? How would they know which one to pick?


That is indeed a drawback. In fact, I mentioned it in my initial post, but due to accidently hitting the browser's back button, I had to retype my post again .
One solution for this may be that DiskID is optional and can be added later. Suppose I don't have a DVD-drive. I enter the UPC and notice that it is not available online yet. Then I create a new profile and submit it. Later on, someone else may complete the profile by adding the DiskID. Then this gets downloaded again to update my own profile.
Or: I enter the UPC and see that it is available, but it is the wrong disk (the covers or title or whatever don't match). Then again I can submit my profile without a DiskID, but only if all online profiles have a DiskID.
Or: I enter the UPC and see that it is available multiple times, then I can choose the one that fits my covers (although I'd never be certain that the DiskIDs match). This is basically the same as today, where sometimes you also get multiple matches and choose the one that is correct. (*)
Also, when having DP look for an updated profile, the software could do it very easily. If my profile has both the UPC and DiskID, it could simply look for that one. If it only has the UPC, it could look online to see if that UPC is available, and if there are multiple matches, let me choose the correct one after which my own profile would also have the DiskID.


(*) In fact, I wonder how this is possible if the unique key is UPC+Locality. There should always only be one match. Yet, I've had many times that when adding a DVD, I was prompted with a list of possibilities, usually different localities. Maybe this is the case when there is no matching UPC for my locality but there are matching UPCs for other localities...
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributorhevanw
Registered: March 18, 2007
Belgium Posts: 426
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Quoting skipnet50:
Quote:
Skip


Skip, I don't quite understand your post. Are you talking about the Disk IDs that are simply one of the fields in the Edit dialogue where you can add one or more disks and tell whether they are DL or not and specify the Disk ID (by having it read by a DVD-ROM) ?
Because, if you are, I was talking about a different DiskID, namely the one that is currently being used to identify DVDs without UPC, where that DiskID is then stored in the UPC field as an alternate key. This is e.g. currently often the case with separate movies that are part of a box set. Those movies don't have a UPC (since they are part of the box) but have their DiskID used instead.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 21,610
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They should be currently the same repter.

Skip
ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
CBE, MBE, MoA and proud of it.
Outta here

Billy Video
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