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Posted to dev@avalon.apache.org by J Aaron Farr <fa...@apache.org> on 2003/10/25 22:56:20 UTC

[site] mavenization in progress

Hello.

Sorry this has taken me so long, but the next iteration of the revised
site is up at http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs .  It's based on the
simple xdoc format and generated with maven.  Not everything is in
place, but the community section and most of the links off of the main
page should work.

I've also committed the source for all of this into
sandbox/mavenized-site

In the process of doing these updates, I've collected the following list
of random notes:

- The release management page has never been finished.  Do we have
'official' documentation for this?

- As soon as we have a JIRA module, I'm planning on moving the links
from bugzilla to JIRA.  Any objections?

- Can't find a good place to put the "Roadmap" document.  But it's seems
outdated anyway.  Do we just want to use JIRA's roadmap features or does
someone want to put together a more serious roadmap?

- framework/principals should be /framework/principles.

- Still need to add the docbook and cgi stuff.

- I'm hoping to keep the "news" section current.  I've also thought
about putting together a somewhat monthly digest of major threads on the
mailing lists.  It could be something we could send to the Apache
newsletter.

Thoughts?  Comments?

-- 
 jaaron  <http://jadetower.org>


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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.

Leo Simons wrote:

> spent some time clicking...more bullets:
>
> - why did you guys remove the component library links to other projects?


My fault - a cut but forget to paste.

>
> - you're missing the apachecon banner
>
> - I think you're burying the framework docs down really deep 


That's bothering me as well.

What I'm thinking of is removing the Framework and Meta submenus - and 
using the page url to link directly to the respective framework and meta 
home sites.  This will address the duplication issue down to one item - 
the short summary in the table.  I also intend to play around some more 
with the container and library content to make them follow the same 
pattern.  Overall this should keep things simpler visually.

>
>
> - the links to ECM and Phoenix are gone. Bad idea; people still use these 


Again that's me - I'm still working on that - should have something 
later today.

>
>
> - the tables with a link to the product and a short description next 
> to it (like 
> http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs/product/solutions/index.html) are 
> real nice. The problem I'm seeing here is that there's now 4 places to 
> update this kind of info (navigation.xml, blah/index.xml, 
> blah/project/index.xml, /index.xml). What we saw previously on our 
> sites (lots of OSS sites, in fact) was outdated descriptions on some 
> of those pages. 


See note - above. 
Next cut should address this nicely.

>
>
> - "More information..." links on 
> http://avalon.apache.org/framework/cop/guide-patterns-avalon.html are 
> broken 


This content exists under the framework site generation - we hust need 
to validate/sync. refererences.

>
>
> - many more; but I suspect those are known TODOs :D
>
> - there's lots of "TBD", "PLACEHOLDER", etc etc, even on the live 
> site. We should replace those with either some standard boilerplate 
> (ie "This page does not exist. Please contribute it...here's the 
> wiki..."), or remove those pages alltogether


Better idea IMO is to kill this now.  Do it once and forget about the 
site for a year - otherwise it will never get updated.

>
> - make sure there's redirects for pages that have been moved (like 
> whoweare)
>
> J Aaron Farr wrote:
>
>>    Products Menu               Top Menu        URL Path
>>    --------------              ---------       ---------
>>    Component Model     <--->  Platform   <-->  core
>>    Container Solutions <--->  Containers <-->  solutions
>>    Component Library   <--->  Components <-->  library
>>
>> The real discrepancy is with Component Model vs Platform.  The URL path
>> is actually to 'core', so we have:
>>
>>   Component Model
>>   Platform
>>   core
>>
>> Which do we want?
>
>
> "Framework". We've been saying Avalon-Framework for years. IMNHSO its 
> better to move the description of metadata to a submenu of framework 
> than to invent a new term ("platform"). 


+1 on Framework (but I'm going to do some playing around on this - 
variations on a theme if you will).

>
>
> The trick is to have the URLs be a flat structure (short links), 
> whereas the site is a tree structure (clearer):

<snip>

Can't do easily - the Anika navigation is driven off stutructural breakdown.
We could put in convinence redirects - need to think about that some more.

>
>>  What about the other two (container & components)?
>
>
> again, I like:
>
> Containers
> Components 


Me too.

>
>
> change for the sake of change is not good :D
>
>> Also, several of the pages are still not complete, but I wanted at least
>> some content there rather than the 'blank page' which I had before.
>
>
> :D
>
>> Finally, does anyone have some comments on the front page content?  Do
>> you like the advantages list?  Anything to add or take away?
>
>
> - predicatibility & validation
> - very difficult to write crappy components
>
> http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?AvalonYouMakeTheDecision 
> has more ideas :D
>
>> Thanks for the feedback!
>
>
> thank you!
>
> - LSD
>
> PS: anyone seen http://website-beta.mozilla.org/? They sure made that 
> an enterprise-friendly page :D


Agree - nice presentation.

Steve.

>
>
>
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>
>

-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Leo Simons <le...@apache.org>.
spent some time clicking...more bullets:

- why did you guys remove the component library links to other projects?

- you're missing the apachecon banner

- I think you're burying the framework docs down really deep

- the links to ECM and Phoenix are gone. Bad idea; people still use these

- the tables with a link to the product and a short description next to 
it (like http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs/product/solutions/index.html) 
are real nice. The problem I'm seeing here is that there's now 4 places 
to update this kind of info (navigation.xml, blah/index.xml, 
blah/project/index.xml, /index.xml). What we saw previously on our sites 
(lots of OSS sites, in fact) was outdated descriptions on some of those 
pages.

- "More information..." links on 
http://avalon.apache.org/framework/cop/guide-patterns-avalon.html are broken

- many more; but I suspect those are known TODOs :D

- there's lots of "TBD", "PLACEHOLDER", etc etc, even on the live site. 
We should replace those with either some standard boilerplate (ie "This 
page does not exist. Please contribute it...here's the wiki..."), or 
remove those pages alltogether

- make sure there's redirects for pages that have been moved (like whoweare)

J Aaron Farr wrote:
>    Products Menu               Top Menu        URL Path
>    --------------              ---------       ---------
>    Component Model     <--->  Platform   <-->  core
>    Container Solutions <--->  Containers <-->  solutions
>    Component Library   <--->  Components <-->  library
> 
> The real discrepancy is with Component Model vs Platform.  The URL path
> is actually to 'core', so we have:
> 
>   Component Model
>   Platform
>   core
> 
> Which do we want?

"Framework". We've been saying Avalon-Framework for years. IMNHSO its 
better to move the description of metadata to a submenu of framework 
than to invent a new term ("platform").

The trick is to have the URLs be a flat structure (short links), whereas 
the site is a tree structure (clearer):

Menu			  Location
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview                  /
News                      /news.html
Community                 /community
   Who We Are              /whoweare
   Get Involved            /get-involved.html
               (I think this is an important page :D)
   Development Process     /process
   History                 /history
Products                  /products
   Framework               /framework
     General Concepts
     Lifecycle
     Meta                  /meta
               (The old split-up was "Guide" and "Reference"
                which nicely distinguished between the formal
                specs and the more user-friendly pattern
                explanations)
   Containers              /containers
     Merlin                /merlin
     Fortress              /fortress
     Phoenix               /phoenix
     ECM                   /excalibur/component
   Components              /components
     Cornerstone           /cornerstone
       Threads             /cornerstone/threads
       ...
     Excalibur             /excalibur
       Compatibility       /excalibur/compatibility
       ...

Related Projects
   Component Frameworks
                           (hivemind, dna)
   Containers
                           (jcontainer, plexus, pico, spring, xwork)
   Components
                           (commons, spice, cocoon, james,
                            plexus-components, jadetower, webtop)
(...)

This allows links such as

  http://avalon.apache.org/get-involved.html
  http://avalon.apache.org/download.cgi
  http://avalon.apache.org/phoenix/api/
    maps to org.apache.avalon.phoenix nicely :D
  http://avalon.apache.org/cornerstone/threads/api/
    maps to org.apache.avalon.cornerstone.threads nicely :D

Also, is it possible with maven to have the menu on the front page 
expanded by default like we currently do?

>  What about the other two (container & components)?

again, I like:

Containers
Components

change for the sake of change is not good :D

> Also, several of the pages are still not complete, but I wanted at least
> some content there rather than the 'blank page' which I had before.

:D

> Finally, does anyone have some comments on the front page content?  Do
> you like the advantages list?  Anything to add or take away?

- predicatibility & validation
- very difficult to write crappy components

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?AvalonYouMakeTheDecision 
has more ideas :D

> Thanks for the feedback!

thank you!

- LSD

PS: anyone seen http://website-beta.mozilla.org/? They sure made that an 
enterprise-friendly page :D



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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.
Aaron:

Snapshot of the latest updates to the site from this morning:
http://www.apache.org/~mcconnell/avalon
(you may need to refresh you browser content).

.. additional notes below.


J Aaron Farr wrote:

>Hello.
>
>In addition to Stephen's updates, I've filled in some of the blank
>documents and added a related projects link under the resources menu.
>(see cvs log for details).  Latest site, once again, at
>http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs/
>
>Couple of issues:
>
>- Links are still to bugzilla.  I'll wait until we actually get the JIRA
>module up before switching.
>
>- I like the reorganization Stephen did with the community section.
>
>- Still have lots of documentation (including the Developing white
>paper) to convert.
>
>- Products:
> 
>I would like to at least see the product list and the links across the
>page top match.  Currently we have:
>
>   Products Menu               Top Menu        URL Path
>   --------------              ---------       ---------
>   Component Model     <--->  Platform   <-->  core
>   Container Solutions <--->  Containers <-->  solutions
>   Component Library   <--->  Components <-->  library
>
>The real discrepancy is with Component Model vs Platform.  The URL path
>is actually to 'core', so we have:
>
>  Component Model
>  Platform
>  core
>
>Which do we want?  What about the other two (container & components)?
>

Have updates the site so that we have:

   Products Menu               Top Menu        URL Path
   --------------              ---------       ---------
   Framework            <--->  Framework <-->  framework
   Containers           <--->  Containers <--> containers
   Components           <--->  Components <--> components


>Also, several of the pages are still not complete, but I wanted at least
>some content there rather than the 'blank page' which I had before.
>

About the only think left in the products area is a short description of 
Excalibur.  The main thing now from my poinbt of view is validating links.

One other thing - I think we should breakout the Related Projects into 
two sub-pages - one for Apache project (James, Turbine, Cocoon, etc.) 
and one for external projects. Also, I think it would be better to 
present the respective content in a single flat list.

Cheers, Steve.


>Finally, does anyone have some comments on the front page content?  Do
>you like the advantages list?  Anything to add or take away?
>
>Thanks for the feedback!
>  
>

-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by J Aaron Farr <fa...@apache.org>.
Hello.

In addition to Stephen's updates, I've filled in some of the blank
documents and added a related projects link under the resources menu.
(see cvs log for details).  Latest site, once again, at
http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs/

Couple of issues:

- Links are still to bugzilla.  I'll wait until we actually get the JIRA
module up before switching.

- I like the reorganization Stephen did with the community section.

- Still have lots of documentation (including the Developing white
paper) to convert.

- Products:
 
I would like to at least see the product list and the links across the
page top match.  Currently we have:

   Products Menu               Top Menu        URL Path
   --------------              ---------       ---------
   Component Model     <--->  Platform   <-->  core
   Container Solutions <--->  Containers <-->  solutions
   Component Library   <--->  Components <-->  library

The real discrepancy is with Component Model vs Platform.  The URL path
is actually to 'core', so we have:

  Component Model
  Platform
  core

Which do we want?  What about the other two (container & components)?

Also, several of the pages are still not complete, but I wanted at least
some content there rather than the 'blank page' which I had before.

Finally, does anyone have some comments on the front page content?  Do
you like the advantages list?  Anything to add or take away?

Thanks for the feedback!
-- 
 jaaron  <http://jadetower.org>


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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.
Have made a bunch of updates (see cvs logs for details).  The very 
latest version can be viewed on http://www.apache.org/~mcconnell/avalon/ 
- still a lot of summary material to be written and some links to be 
cleaned up. But that's for tommorow unless anyone get to it before me.

Stephen.

-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.

J Aaron Farr wrote:

>Hello.
>
>Sorry this has taken me so long, but the next iteration of the revised
>site is up at http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs .  It's based on the
>simple xdoc format and generated with maven.  Not everything is in
>place, but the community section and most of the links off of the main
>page should work.
>
>I've also committed the source for all of this into
>sandbox/mavenized-site
>

Have already started playing around!
A few minutes ago I committed some updates to modify the default style 
so that the top banner height is consistent.  Also updated soem content 
related to committeres and pmc membership that was out-of-date.

>
>In the process of doing these updates, I've collected the following list
>of random notes:
>
>- The release management page has never been finished.  Do we have
>'official' documentation for this?
>
>- As soon as we have a JIRA module, I'm planning on moving the links
>from bugzilla to JIRA.  Any objections?
>

Go for it!

>
>- Can't find a good place to put the "Roadmap" document.  But it's seems
>outdated anyway.  Do we just want to use JIRA's roadmap features or does
>someone want to put together a more serious roadmap?
>

I would prefer that we use a JIRA roadmap.

>
>
>- framework/principals should be /framework/principles.
>

The updated framerwork docs already include the principals content.

>
>- Still need to add the docbook and cgi stuff.
>
>- I'm hoping to keep the "news" section current.  I've also thought
>about putting together a somewhat monthly digest of major threads on the
>mailing lists.  It could be something we could send to the Apache
>newsletter.
>

Good idea.

>Thoughts?  Comments?
>

I'm working through and cleaning up some broken links etc. and any 
out-of-date information.  Am also thinking about where structure can be 
inprovided/simplified and plan on playing around with the product stuff.

Cheers, Steve.


-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.

Leo Simons wrote:

> - figure out what version of maven is capable of generating our site 
> and all subsites, then tell everyone (I've heard lots of things about 
> various bugs) 


Maven beta-10 works fine for site generation.
RC1 raises a bunch of problems because of stylesheet and structural changes.

Steve.

-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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Re: [site] mavenization in progress

Posted by Leo Simons <le...@apache.org>.
J Aaron Farr wrote:
> Sorry this has taken me so long, but the next iteration of the revised
> site is up at http://cvs.apache.org/~farra/docs .

kudos to you! Everyone hates working on documentation :D

> - The release management page has never been finished.  Do we have
> 'official' documentation for this?

no. The summation of

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?AvalonReleaseManagerHowto
         Paper based on the avalon-components releases

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?AvalonDistributionLayout
         Paper based on avalon adopting the mirroring guidelines

http://www.apache.org/dev/mirrors.html
         Official how-to-mirror

http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi#verify
         Brief how-to-verify-httpd releases

http://httpd.apache.org/dev/verification.html
         Description of why verify

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?Mirroring
         Not much here except for pointers to other mirroring pages

http://cvs.apache.org/~bodewig/mirror.html
         Stefan's useful how-to-mirror

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?SigningReleases
         Wiki of how-to-verify and why verify

http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?IncubatorReleaseManagement
         How to do "releases" while in incubation

http://www.apache.org/dev/
         Main entry point into the ASF dev-docus

http://httpd.apache.org/dev/
         Main entry point into the HTTPD dev-docus

and similar fragments scattered throughout the ASF should be gathered, 
verified, generalized, spell-checked, formatted into an anakia document, 
then submitted as a patch (sent to infrastructure@apache.org) for the 
www.apache.org/dev site.

> - As soon as we have a JIRA module, I'm planning on moving the links
> from bugzilla to JIRA.  Any objections?

nope.

> - Can't find a good place to put the "Roadmap" document.  But it's seems
> outdated anyway.  Do we just want to use JIRA's roadmap features or does
> someone want to put together a more serious roadmap?

use JIRA, kill the old one.

> - framework/principals should be /framework/principles.
> 
> - Still need to add the docbook and cgi stuff.
> 
> - I'm hoping to keep the "news" section current.  I've also thought
> about putting together a somewhat monthly digest of major threads on the
> mailing lists.  It could be something we could send to the Apache
> newsletter.

that'd be an option, but I suggest that maintaining our own "news" 
channel is more work than we can do (long-term), so its better to just 
participate in the big newsletter.

> Thoughts?  Comments?

Keep up the good stuff! I know what an unthankful job website management 
is, and I really really appreciate other people doing the work ;)

more action items:

- disable forrestbot for avalon completely (dunno if its already done)

- figure out what version of maven is capable of generating our site and 
all subsites, then tell everyone (I've heard lots of things about 
various bugs)

- expand http://avalon.apache.org/components/ (like with your own stuff ;)

cheers!

- Leo



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Re: [site] mavenization near completion

Posted by Stephen McConnell <mc...@apache.org>.
New snapshot available:

    http://www.apache.org/~mcconnell/avalon/

All broken links are fixed and all TO BE DONE stuff is now in place.
As far as I can see - the remaining items are:

  downloads.cgi
   jira link
   docbook content transformation

Cheers, Steve.

-- 

Stephen J. McConnell
mailto:mcconnell@apache.org




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