PSML_02 branch status & new customizer

[Raphaël Luta <ra...@networks.groupvu.com>]

This mail is a simple status update on the new layout work:

I've currently on my coputer a complete interface based Object Model
for the confgiuration objects (created from PSML2 files). They're ready to
commit, except for the javadoc documentation.

I hope to be able to commit these for public review before the end of the week
but I'm currently mainly occupied by writing my ApacheCon paper...

Once the OM is committed, I think it would be great if someone could start
thinking on a new customizer based on this OM (especially writing mockup
templates while I finish the base classes implementation)

Once both the API and templates will be written, we'll just have to put the
correct objects in the context and everything should work...
I like the Pull methodology :)

One issue I don't know how to deal with yet with the customizer is:
how can a user search for a new portlet to add to his page ?
I can see approaches:
- the user has to search for a given portlet class (for example RSS) and
   then the portlet customization screen would propose a list or search of
   possible contents.
   This is easy to implement but not very natural for a end user who would
   have to know tat is looking for RSS syndicated data.
- the user directly looks for a given content and the portal delegates to all
   portlets through a API call the task to search in their accessible content
   whether they have one that can match the requested keyword.
   This would be IMO the best implementation but would make browsing
   available content somewhat more difficult and start to look like a content
   management system.

Thoughts ?


--
Raphaël Luta - raphael.luta@networks.groupvu.com
Vivendi Universal Networks - Services Manager / Paris

RE: PSML_02 branch status & new customizer

[Raphaël Luta <ra...@networks.groupvu.com>]

At 08:17 07/03/2001 -0800, you wrote:
> > I've currently on my coputer a complete interface based Object Model
> > for the confgiuration objects (created from PSML2 files).
>
>LOA (lots of applause) :)

You'll do that when it actually wroks... ;)

> > They're ready to
> > commit, except for the javadoc documentation.
> >
>Why don't you commit to the branch? I'd very much like to see it

I don't want to commit something without a single comment line in the CVS,
even a branch, as it would be very difficult for people to figure what it's 
about...

> > Once the OM is committed, I think it would be great if
> > someone could start
> > thinking on a new customizer based on this OM (especially
> > writing mockup
> > templates while I finish the base classes implementation)
> > I like the Pull methodology :)
>
>I can give it a try.

OK

> > One issue I don't know how to deal with yet with the customizer is:
> > how can a user search for a new portlet to add to his page ?
>
>Another approach: portlets would have 'category attributes' in the registry.
>When searching, you would check the attributes for a match, like <meta>tags

I'm not sure what kind of categories you can affect to:
RSSPortlet
XSLPortlet
SQLPortel
...

All these are simply gateways to external content systems and it's not possible
to categorize them whitout foreknowledge of the content they can access...

>Im also thinking of a 'portlet lookup' page.
>The lookup page would display a table of all available templates
>
>+--------------------------------------------------------
>+ Portlet   |  Description   |  Categories
>+--------------------------------------------------------
>
>The user could sort and filter the list by criteria such as the category.
>When a portlet is selected, the user would be returned to the customizer
>page,
>and the portlet would be placed on the page.

Yes, it's a possible implementation. I don't think I'm enough of an "end user"
to make a statement of the ease of use and intuitivenenss of such a system.

Maybe this subject should be brought up in the jetspeed-user list, now that we
have one...



--
Raphaël Luta - raphael.luta@networks.groupvu.com
Vivendi Universal Networks - Services Manager / Paris

RE: PSML_02 branch status & new customizer

[David Sean Taylor <da...@bluesunrise.com>]

Raphael,

Im working on decoupling the fallback mechanism from the profiler.
The problem is that Im not really sure how PSML files will be implemented in
the new layout system.

Could you tell me more about how you implemented PSML files in the new
layout system?
My impression is that PSML files will no longer exist as we know them today.
There will now be 'configuration' files. Is the configuration file per-user,
per-group?
Or will there be only one configuration file per installation?

thanks,

- david

RE: PSML_02 branch status & new customizer

[David Sean Taylor <da...@bluesunrise.com>]

> I've currently on my coputer a complete interface based Object Model
> for the confgiuration objects (created from PSML2 files).

LOA (lots of applause) :)

> They're ready to
> commit, except for the javadoc documentation.
>
Why don't you commit to the branch? I'd very much like to see it

> Once the OM is committed, I think it would be great if
> someone could start
> thinking on a new customizer based on this OM (especially
> writing mockup
> templates while I finish the base classes implementation)
> I like the Pull methodology :)

I can give it a try.

> One issue I don't know how to deal with yet with the customizer is:
> how can a user search for a new portlet to add to his page ?

Another approach: portlets would have 'category attributes' in the registry.
When searching, you would check the attributes for a match, like <meta>tags

Im also thinking of a 'portlet lookup' page.
The lookup page would display a table of all available templates

+--------------------------------------------------------
+ Portlet   |  Description   |  Categories
+--------------------------------------------------------

The user could sort and filter the list by criteria such as the category.
When a portlet is selected, the user would be returned to the customizer
page,
and the portlet would be placed on the page.

- david