status: dead. zdc was replaced by strongbox, storage, and arlo

= zdc overview =

=== summary ===

The ZDC ("zike data classes") package provides (yet another) Object-Relational mapping service for python. On the object side, ZDC provides the following classes (note that the "Class" prefix is only provided as an aide to this wiki):

  * ClassObject - adds strong(er) typing and dynamic properties to normal python objects
  * ClassObjectView - makes an Object look like a dictionary (handy for ["zebra"] templates)
  * ClassLinkSet - handles one-to-many relationships between objects
  * ClassJunction - handles many-to-many relationships between objects

On the relational side, 

  * ClassField -
  * ClassRecord -
  * ClassTable -
  * ClassConnection -

The two sides are combined in ClassRecordObject, though this may change, eventually.

ZDC also contains classes that describe various data types:

  * ClassFixedPoint (shamelessly stolen from Tim Peters)
  * ClassDate - simple dates, with arithmetic support (eg, today + 1)
  * ClassIdxDict - similar to microsoft collections, a cross between  python's standard dictionary and list types.

=== quicklinks ===

sourceforge: http://sf.net/projects/zdc/
webpages: (none worth mentioning yet)
documentation (old): http://zike.sourceforge.net/doc/api.zdc.html 

=== status ===

ZDC has been fairly stable since late 2000 or so... It works beautifully as-is, but the interface isn't as clean as it could be. (See below)

=== to-do ===

The following areas need work:

   * find a better name!
   * create a driver for MetaKit
   * investigate the class creation syntax from RoundUp
   * ZDC server (kind of like EJB container?)
   * Decouple RecordObject from the datasource. (You should not need a Connection just to create a RecordObject)