English Language & Usage Asked on December 9, 2020
I’m looking for a set of words that define a logical, hierarchical structure to define a simple 3 level taxonomy, but it needs to comply with the following requirements:
I was thinking about something like theme -> topic -> subject, but one could argue that topic and subject are the same thing. Is there another combination I could use? This comes from someone who does programming for a living, where this kind of things are very usual and easy to achieve.
Thanks.
From a clarifying comment under the question:
It's diverse, up to the user. It could literally be anything. Imagine any possible taxonomy combination (animals, geography, computers, space, art), but abstract. Top-level, mid-level and low-level are "correct", I was just hoping there are better examples.
Based on this, I suggest general > intermediate > specific.
From Merriam-Webster:
Answered by Jason Bassford on December 9, 2020
What you’re describing is a database: Database, Table (or Collection for non-tabular data), Record. Are you reinventing the database management system? Are you making a database of databases? Perhaps you could be making a database for each database instead of filling one database with a bunch of self-managed databases.
Now, if something distinguishes your information from the database you're putting it in, I'd recommend using that distinction as a prefix, at least internally (e.g. user_database or dynamic_database.) Hard to name abstractions are often the wrong abstractions, so if there's no distinction, that's a sign you don't need to create a separate thing.
Finally, you could use a metaphor from books: Library > Series > Volume
Answered by Qaz on December 9, 2020
thanks for your suggestions all. I decided to go with a slightly different approach, and am currently using category -> subcategory -> topic -> subtopic. the first half is more generic, the second half narrows it down. they're both word/subword and it works for me, giving me even more granularity than 3 levels. I appreciate your time.
Answered by Chris on December 9, 2020
Get help from others!
Recent Questions
Recent Answers
© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP