The structure of information
Thus, there are two ways of providing a
catalogue of the windows on the job, in which
W2/37 is seen to take its place between
W2/36 and W2/38. But if we were now to add
to the drawing a fuller description of what
W2/37 in fact consists of, then we should
meet an immediate difficulty—there is just not
space to do it (1.7).Consequently, when it is considered that
the information given only scratches the
surface of what the recipient really needs
to know and that similar information will
need to be provided about W2/1 to
W2/50—to name but the windows on the
second floor—it becomes apparent that not
only will there be insufficient room on the
drawing to make this method feasible but
there will be insufficient drawing office time
and money available to make it an economic
starter. The schedule does it so much
better (1.8).Given the presence of schedules in the
package, the search pattern given in (1.5)
becomes simpler and more directly focused.
The general arrangement drawing is still the
starting point but now the searcher is directed
from it to the schedule and from there to the
various sources of assembly and component
information (1.9).Further consideration will be given later to
the most suitable format for schedules and
to the areas of information which lend
themselves most readily to scheduling.
All that remains to be settled for the moment
is what sort of an animal this hybrid most
resembles. Is it a drawing or some other form
of document? If a drawing, then what type of
drawing is it?1.6 Simple identification of components may be recorded on
either a schedule or general arrangement plan
1.7 The general arrangement plan is an inappropriate medium for
recording the diverse characteristics of each component. Detail of this
order can only be given elsewhere—in a specification or in other
drawings to which the schedule points the way