IDs, Tags, and Slugs

Items retrieved in an excavation are typically assigned unique tags. For example, in the Jezreel Expedition, a specific ceramic object may be assigned the following tag: 16/S/56 AR 5.1 (Season 2016, Area S, Locus 56, Basket 5, Artifact 1).

In addition to the excavation's tag, the software utilizes two additional identifiers for each item:

• ID: a unique string stored in the database table and used as a primary ID.
• Slug: a unique, human readable string used to reference an item as part of a URL (avoiding reserved characters, white spaces, etc.)

For example, the above mentioned ceramic tag will have the corresponding

• ID: 6S056AR0501
• Slug: 16.S.56.AR.5.1

Functions to convert between the different identifiers are required as part of each module's configuration files.

TIP

In some cases such "composite" IDs may not be appropriate to use. In those cases surrogate ids may be utilized and the conversion functions will be rudimentary.