on being alone

[Keith Jones]

Another question

In the document under the heading "Network Approaches" it says "� the program must allow the user to specify the location of the database, and it must accept an indication that a local database is to be used �". My question here is does this mean that if the user's command line parameter is either "" or "server" that they still even then should be allowed to use "alone" mode or does this simply refer to the "alone" mode?

And what do they mean by "indication"? Do they mean you must have a label or something saying "You are using a local database" or do they mean that by being in "alone" mode you will have to select a local db file and that that would be your indication.

[Mark Smyth]

Originally posted by Keith Jones:
Another question

In the document under the heading "Network Approaches" it says "� the program must allow the user to specify the location of the database, and it must accept an indication that a local database is to be used �". My question here is does this mean that if the user's command line parameter is either "" or "server" that they still even then should be allowed to use "alone" mode or does this simply refer to the "alone" mode?

And what do they mean by "indication"? Do they mean you must have a label or something saying "You are using a local database" or do they mean that by being in "alone" mode you will have to select a local db file and that that would be your indication.

I think that this is a confusing sentence and is a bit ambigious. I think that the best innterpretation is that 'alone' argument is indication that a local database is to be used. This is the interpretation that I have taken and below is the main method to start the app.

public static void main(String[] args) {
  if (args.length == 0) {
    startNetworkApplication();
  } else {
    if (args[0].equals("server")) {
        startServerApplication();
    } else if (args[0].equals("alone")) {
startLocalApplication();
    }
  }
}

[Chulwoo Choi]

Hi,

I would paraphrase

...(requirements when in "server" mode)... and it must accept an indication that a local database is to be used, in which case...

as

...(requirements when in "server" mode)... but the program must also consider the case when it runs in "alone" mode, in which case...

Chulwoo