[topicmapmail] relationships: one-way and two-way

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Kal Ahmed
>
> There are those who argue that any n-ary relationship can be  
> replaced by n binary associations, but I think that this can loose  
> important detail about the grouping of those associations.

I think you left out a crucial part of that argument. :) People argue  
that any n-ary association can be replaced by n binary associations  
*and* 1 topic. Effectively you create a topic for the n-ary  
association, and a binary association for every role in the n-ary  
association.

I don't think anyone disagrees that

   - this does work, and

   - sometimes you really *want* an n-ary association, even if you don't
     have to use them.

Wholeheartedly agree with the rest of Kal's message.

--
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian               http://www.ontopia.net
+47 98 21 55 50                             http://www.garshol.priv.no