issues
1 row where body = "Metadata in Datasette is a really powerful feature, but is a bit difficult to work with. It was initially a way to add "metadata" about your "data" in Datasette instances, like descriptions for databases/tables/columns, titles, source URLs, licenses, etc. But it later became the go-to spot for other Datasette features that have nothing to do with metadata, like permissions/plugins/canned queries. Specifically, I've found the following problems when working with Datasette metadata: 1. Metadata cannot be updated without re-starting the entire Datasette instance. 2. The `metadata.json`/`metadata.yaml` has become a kitchen sink of unrelated (imo) features like plugin config, authentication config, canned queries 3. The Python APIs for defining extra metadata are a bit awkward (the `datasette.metadata()` class, `get_metadata()` hook, etc.) ## Possible solutions Here's a few ideas of Datasette core changes we can make to address these problems. ### Re-vamp the Datasette Python metadata APIs The Datasette object has a single `datasette.metadata()` method that's a bit difficult to work with. There's also no Python API for inserted new metadata, so plugins have to rely on the `get_metadata()` hook. The `get_metadata()` hook can also be improved - it doesn't work with async functions yet, so you're quite limited to what you can do. (I'm a bit fuzzy on what to actually do here, but I imagine it'll be very small breaking changes to a few Python methods) ### Add an optional `datasette_metadata` table Datasette should detect and use metadata stored in a new special table called `datasette_metadata`. This would be a regular table that a user can edit on their own, and would serve as a "live updating" source of metadata, than can be changed while the Datasette instance is running. Not too sure what the schema would look like, but I'd imagine: ```sql CREATE TABLE datasette_metadata( level text, target any, key text, value any, primary key (level, target) ) ``` Every row in this table would map to a single metadata "entry". - `level` would be one of "datasette", "database", "table", "column", which is the "level" the entry describes. For example, `level="table"` means it is metadata about a specific table, `level="database"` for a specific database, or `level="datasette"` for the entire Datasette instance. - `target` would "point" to the specific object the entry metadata is about, and would depend on what `level` is specific. - `level="database"`: `target` would be the string name of the database that the metadata entry is about. ex `"fixtures"` - `level="table"`: `target` would be a JSON array of two strings. The first element would be the database name, and the second would be the table name. ex `["fixtures", "students"]` - `level="column"`: `target` would be a JSON array of 3 strings: The database name, table name, and column name. Ex `["fixtures", "students", "student_id"`] - `key` would be the type of metadata entry the row has, similar to the current "keys" that exist in `metadata.json`. Ex `"about_url"`, `"source"`, `"description"`, etc - `value` would be the text value of be metadata entry. The literal text value of a description, about_url, column_label, etc A quick sample: level | target | key | value -- | -- | -- | -- datasette | NULL | title | my datasette title... db | fixtures | source | <description of my database source> table | ["fixtures", "students"] | label_column | student_name column | ["fixtures", "students", "birthdate"] | description | <description of the fixtures.students.birthdate column> This `datasette_metadata` would be configured with other tools, and hopefully not manually by end users. Datasette Core could also offer a UI for editing entries in `datasette_metadata`, to update descriptions/columns on the fly. ### Re-vamp `metadata.json` and move non-metadata config to another place The motivation behind this is that it's awkward that `metadata.json` contains config about things that are not strictly metadata, including: - Plugin configuration - [Authentication/permissions](https://docs.datasette.io/en/latest/authentication.html#access-permissions-in-metadata) (ex the `allow` key on datasettes/databases/tables - Canned queries. might be controversial, but in my mind, canned queries are application-specific code and configuration, and don't describe the data that exists in SQLite databases. I think we should move these outside of `metadata.json` and into a different file. The `datasette.json` idea in #2093 may be a good solution here: plugin/permissions/canned queries can be defined in `datasette.json`, while `metadata.json`/`datasette_metadata` will strictly be about documenting databases/tables/columns. " and state = "open" sorted by updated_at descending
This data as json, CSV (advanced)
Suggested facets: created_at (date), updated_at (date)
id | node_id | number | title | user | state | locked | assignee | milestone | comments | created_at | updated_at ▲ | closed_at | author_association | pull_request | body | repo | type | active_lock_reason | performed_via_github_app | reactions | draft | state_reason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1855885427 | I_kwDOBm6k_c5unpBz | 2143 | De-tangling Metadata before Datasette 1.0 | asg017 15178711 | open | 0 | 24 | 2023-08-18T00:51:50Z | 2023-08-24T18:28:27Z | CONTRIBUTOR | Metadata in Datasette is a really powerful feature, but is a bit difficult to work with. It was initially a way to add "metadata" about your "data" in Datasette instances, like descriptions for databases/tables/columns, titles, source URLs, licenses, etc. But it later became the go-to spot for other Datasette features that have nothing to do with metadata, like permissions/plugins/canned queries. Specifically, I've found the following problems when working with Datasette metadata:
Possible solutionsHere's a few ideas of Datasette core changes we can make to address these problems. Re-vamp the Datasette Python metadata APIsThe Datasette object has a single The (I'm a bit fuzzy on what to actually do here, but I imagine it'll be very small breaking changes to a few Python methods) Add an optional
|
datasette 107914493 | issue | { "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/2143/reactions", "total_count": 0, "+1": 0, "-1": 0, "laugh": 0, "hooray": 0, "confused": 0, "heart": 0, "rocket": 0, "eyes": 0 } |
Advanced export
JSON shape: default, array, newline-delimited, object
CREATE TABLE [issues] ( [id] INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, [node_id] TEXT, [number] INTEGER, [title] TEXT, [user] INTEGER REFERENCES [users]([id]), [state] TEXT, [locked] INTEGER, [assignee] INTEGER REFERENCES [users]([id]), [milestone] INTEGER REFERENCES [milestones]([id]), [comments] INTEGER, [created_at] TEXT, [updated_at] TEXT, [closed_at] TEXT, [author_association] TEXT, [pull_request] TEXT, [body] TEXT, [repo] INTEGER REFERENCES [repos]([id]), [type] TEXT , [active_lock_reason] TEXT, [performed_via_github_app] TEXT, [reactions] TEXT, [draft] INTEGER, [state_reason] TEXT); CREATE INDEX [idx_issues_repo] ON [issues] ([repo]); CREATE INDEX [idx_issues_milestone] ON [issues] ([milestone]); CREATE INDEX [idx_issues_assignee] ON [issues] ([assignee]); CREATE INDEX [idx_issues_user] ON [issues] ([user]);