Auto-generation of Geo-Object codes based on a coding schema

[rfromthecastle]

User stories

Raised by @viengthong2015
To assign a code to a new Geo-Object, Registry Maintainers currently have to check the overall list and manually assign a new code based on the coding schema for the list. It would be helpful for GeoPrism Registry to auto-generate this code based on a schema defined by the Registry Maintainer.

Problems this relates to

Data management

Proposed solution

Include functionality for Registry Maintainers to configure a coding schema

Considered alternatives

Manual entry of codes.

Additional context

None.

[SteeveEbener]

Way too complex as the coding scheme will be different for each geo-object type and might follow specific rules to take historic changes into account.

This has to be done manually once the coding scheme and its associated rules are properly documented.

Few things that can help the RM with the coding:

1. You can sort and filter the working version of the list according to the unique ID (code) after having included the invalid records to help identify the unique ID to be attributed to the new geo-object based on the coding scheme and associated rules
2. Geoprism Registry warns the user when an already existing unique ID is being used.

[rfromthecastle]

Hi @SteeveEbener, yes I'm aware of how coding schemes may be complex, but would there be room in the future for something like an expression builder to auto-generate codes? FYI @viengthong2015

[SteeveEbener]

@rfromthecastle : can you give an example of the kind of expressions you are thinking about? Thanks

[rfromthecastle]

@SteeveEbener Something like 'H' + incrementing number, where incrementing number is some form of function to add a number and increase by one. @viengthong2015 did you have anything specific in mind for this?

[nmceachen]

An expression builder that covers all possible scenarios would indeed be complex. I see two possibilities:

1. Build a simplified expression builder that covers common scenarios
2. Implement support for the ability to define a code scheme in software code for Geo-Object Types. This would cover all scenarios.

These two are not mutually exclusive. Implementing 1) to cover all possibilities could take us down a rabbit hole. However, if something as simple as + covers 80% of the scenarios, then it might be worth looking into.

[SteeveEbener]

The issue here is that it is not only about providing an expression builder but also implementing rules to identify which unique ID can indeed be used taking historical changes into account for example.

Working on this is opening a pandora's box that will derive us from concentrating on other things that need to be fixed.

As an alternative, I would rather work on a set of queries that would guide the user on which unique ID he could be using (examples: identifying the last unique ID that has been entered or the unique ID presenting the highest value)

[rfromthecastle]

Looking at the discussion here, I do agree that automating code generation may become too complicated. Though I like @SteeveEbener 's suggestion of some queries to help identify the latest assigned code. @viengthong2015 @Mc7434 Thoughts?