[mythtv-users] Notice to Schedules Direct users

[Tom Dexter]

On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 4:24 PM, jedi <jedi at mishnet.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 05:45:02PM +0000, Gary Buhrmaster wrote:
>> On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 5:16 PM, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org> wrote:
>> ....
>> > WOW WOW WOW so much FUD
>> >
>> > The JSON grabber does NOT add any columns to ANY table.
>>
>>  ....
>>
>> > NO schemas will be broken by using the JSON grabber.
>>
>> I can understand that SD may not have experienced
>> enterprise/data/database architects available to you
>> in order to review your designs.  However, adding a
>> table to an existing database that you do not "own"
>> DOES break the schema for the application.  Some
>
>     That's just hysterical nonsense.
>
> [deletia]
>
>     It doesn't break anything. It might break something
> in the future if someone goes out of their way to be an
> idiot.
Interestingly, while I tend to agree with your sentiments on the other
topic regarding the potential switch to an embedded database, I think
you're sort of understating this one a bit.

Personally I'd never use a third party app that even inserted data
into the existing mythconverg tables, let alone one that did stuff
like adding tables, and I'd say the devs are spot on in advising
people to avoid any such thing.  That's what APIs are for, as be
definition they have a guaranteed and documented consistency.  The
underlying database expressly doesn't.

Can you get away with it without breaking things?...sure....but to be
clear this is not unlike applying your own custom patches to the
application source.  If you know what you're doing it won't break
anything.  Will those patches work with future versions?...If you're
careful with each version to review and change them as needed the
probably, but depending what changes that may not even be possible.

When you say "if someone goes out of their way to be an idiot" that's
sort of disingenuous to the devs.  As long as they don't break their
own code, they should be be able to make whatever changes they want.
Hell...they could end up adding a table in the future that happened to
have the same name as one added by a third party...and to be
clear...adding tables *is* in fact changing the schema.

Anyway...just my $0.02.

Tom