Collections 2.0 Prototype—feedback is welcome

[Zak-from-Zork]

@kaye

@woodsel

how do collection and object types differ?

They don’t. In this new system, objects can have multiple types—which effectively means objects belong in multiple collections. When you create an object, it can be directly into a collection or it can be put into multiple collections. You can imagine it similarly to applying a tag to an object, except those tags have properties attached to them.

Actually, I think there’s a really big difference!

1. “Collection” stands for any object with a list-layout (the thing you decide upon when you set up a new object from scratch). (We are leaving queries out here for simplicity.) A Collection is capable of automatically sorting the elements it links to according to rules set up by the user. With other words a collection is an index oriented, sorted library. (Queries too by the way.)
2. “Type” includes an arrangement of a certain configuration of templates and properties of a category of objects that can have either list or page layout. (The objects in question are then presented by means of a library (aka collection/query).

Think of collections as boxes on a market stand and think of types as the fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables are put in the boxes and the boxes get the label of the types of goods within. However, the boxes are not the fruits and vegetables. They are just the boxes, or, to keep up the picture of a sorted library, they are the shelves where the vegetables and fruits are sorted in.

In here, it’s just that we have entangled fruits and vegetables that can be in several different places at the same time like quanta in quantum physics, that just show different perspectives of the same objects in different boxes. However, it doesn’t change the basic difference.

Collections are rather filters that put an emphasis on certain selected aspects of all properties of an object.

I think it’s really important to get unique names for everything to put the right pictures and the heads of people so they can orientate easier within the complex system of Anytype.

What do you think?

Zak

P. S. : I think the technical difference is shown in Anytype itself too. When you want to configure a collection, you start editing the view arranging the filter in the sort rules.

But when you want to change the elements of the collection (aka objects), you have to open up, “edit type” or “edit template". There you see the arrangement of properties that are not sorted, but manually arranged by a content-oriented goal.

P. P. S. :

@kaye

Does changing ‘types’ to ‘collections’ and ‘queries’ to ‘smart collections’ feel like a step forward to making the system easier to understand?

Types to collection? No, see above.

queries to smart collection? If it has to be, but I would strongly recommend to have the one for all solution to make it easier to find the way around. So just one “collection”, “library” or whatever.Why not use “collection service"? (I prefer libraries anyways )