[schooltool-dev] Re: [Cando] Resource Scheduling Spec

[Tom Hoffman]

On 2/14/07, David Welsh <rdavidw at gmail.com> wrote:

> > * Location & resources.  Locations are a special type of resource.
> > All other resources have a "home" location where they are assumed to
> > be when they aren't scheduled for a specific event.  Reservation
> > events may have locations, but they aren't required to.
> >
> > * Can we say any resource that can't be moved is a location?
>
> I can think of three basic types of objects:  1) locations; 2) resources /
> equipment; 3) computer labs / laptop carts.  The big thing with #3 is not so
> much that one is movable and one is not, but rather that they are
> container-type objects.
>
> Assuming we don't want to deal with containers just yet, what's left that's
> important about the three types of objects is that you want to know slightly
> different stuff about each.  For example, if it's a location we're talking
> about, we might want to know room capacity and the location of the room in
> the building.  If it's a laptop cart or computer lab, we might want to know
> the number of computers in it.  If it's equipment, we might want to know the
> manufacturer, model and serial number.  Exactly how you handle these
> descripters, I'll leave up to you guys.  I have written what I want to know
> in the user stories.

The thing that occurs to me is that right now you reserve something by
creating an event & attaching a location and a resource to it.  I
think there are good reasons to continue to do this internally, even
if the UI represents the process in a less calendar-centric way.

However, one bit of weirdness then is if can reserve, say, desktop
computer #37 in the computer lab for 3:00.  It doesn't necessarily
make sense here for the "location" to be computer lab and the
"resource" is computer #37.  I mean, it is an unnecessary step to
indicate the location.  It might be cleaner to say "I'm reserving the
location "computer #37."  Or it might be more confusing.  Thoughts?

--Tom