RE: "to persist data"

Subject: RE: "to persist data"
From: "Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>
To: "'Nancy Allison'" <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 16:22:55 -0700

"To persist data" is to use the "persistence" layer. Here's a Red Hat
description of persistence, but there are many other descriptions of
"persistence" and the "persistence layer."

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/rhea/RHEA-5.0-Manual/developer-guide/ch-p
ersistence.html

I think that persisting data is a new or newish database application concept
to have your application manipulate and hold onto data. Persistent data is
data and data objects that don't go away when the application is exited.
The data isn't permanently stored on the database (so calling it stored is a
misnomer) or deleted because it is like a work in progress.

The way I understand it anyway. The persistence layer holds on to database
routines and objects so that they don't have be re-compiled with each
transaction. It's a speed thing, I think. From what you are describing,
one of the tasks that your engineers want to do is to re-populate forms with
the persisted (not stored) data.

To me, it's like a terminate and stay resident (TSR) concept only it's for
databases. It's a new use on an old word and I think that it would take too
many words to use the concept in documentation without accepting that "to
persist" will persist in applications for awhile, so it needs to be
documentation. Application engineers know what it means and that's really
what matters. They understand the concept and they would probably resist
having a technical writer telling them they are using the wrong word. Since
persisted data is invisible to the user (they see their entries, but not
that anything is persisted), it really doesn't need to be documented for
users, except to describe the "magical" re-occurrence of their data when the
access the application again.

If you want to use a word other than "persist," then you will need to change
the use of the concept "persistence layer." I really doubt that this is
possible.

Lauren


> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Nancy Allison
> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 10:27 AM
> Cc: techwr-l
> Subject: "to persist data"
>
> I've just run across the expression "to persist data" -- I
> find it on the web as well as in the doc I've been asked to work on.
>
> Here's a web example:
>
> "Once we have validated, or failed to validate our data, we
> need to persist it. (Or at the very least we need to make the
> decisions not to persist it.) We have an number of ways to
> persist our data depending on the scope of the persistance.
> For a single webform, we may be persisting the information
> back into the form input fields. Or we may persist it to a
> session if we want to data to remain for the entirety of the
> user's visit. We may even persist it to a database for long
> term storage.\ "
>
> While I understand that our geekier siblings are happy with
> this term, I'd like to stick with English as much as
> possible. (Is joke! Mostly.) What does "to persist data"
> mean? To move it? To retain it unchanged? Is there a Regular
> English verb that expresses the same meaning?
>
> Thanks.
>
> --Nancy
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help
> file formats or
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows
> Vista & 2007
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu -dot-
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/lt34%40csus.edu
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

References:
"to persist data": From: Nancy Allison

Previous by Author: RE: Standards for units and values
Next by Author: RE: "to persist data"
Previous by Thread: RE: "to persist data"
Next by Thread: RE: "to persist data"


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads