Scott T Weaver wrote:
On Wed, 2004-06-23 at 06:36, Ate Douma wrote:
I'd like to add a few comments to my proposal concerning the elements section of my example (some of which came up yesterday during a chat I had with David Sean Taylor).
Here's the elements section again:
<!-- Folder elements displayed in the menu (in the current example in tabmenu if level < 3 or in treemenu otherwise) in the order as defined --> <elements>
<page id="page1" description="Page 1"/> <page ref="../../subfolder2/page8"/> <page ref="/subfolder1/subfolder2/page9" description="Page 9" />
<folder id="subfolder1"/> <folder ref="/subfolder1/subfolder3"/>
<link url="http://www.apache.org"; description="Home Apache" target="_self"/> <link url="http://portals.apache.org"; description="Home Apache Portals" target="outside"/>
<!-- hidden elements --> <page id="page2" hidden="true"/> <folder id="subfolder2" hidden="true"/>
</elements>
So, we are going to have to have meta-data to describe the folder? I thought links were going to be simple text files with urls in them, not entries in meta-data.
I'm ok with using simple text files for Links (and element references). But, there remains the need for some folder meta-data: 1) Folder description (for menu display) 2) An optional 'skip' attribute setting 3) Menu parameters, decorator and decoration configuration. Because of the inheritance though this won't be needed in all folders. 4) Menu element order and hiding elements. We can use a default ordering scheme like ordering on the descriptions. But, if that's not sufficient, some kind of meta-data will have to be specified. One option I previously suggested could be defining in within the elements (Page definition, Link and element reference files). Defining hidden elements can also be done like that.
So, As far as I see, the only really required meta-data needed for all the Folders is its description (1). The others are all optional or can be solved differently (4). What do you think?
I agree, at least as far as it it possible. See above.
In my example all the elements for a menu node are specified, including those not to be displayed (hidden). The 'hidden' elements really are redundant in this example if all elements are to be specified. So you can just leave them out.
-1. I think reversing it is a better idea so that only special cases (like hidden) need to be specified. The folder meta-data should be entirely optional.
It can. Its still meta-data though. It doesn't matter much I think if its put into one folder-meta-data file or in several link/reference files.
But, you still need to specify all which should be displayed. Furthermore, the order in which they are displayed is derived from it.
One issue from the previous discussions was that we really should provide a intuitive and easy menu configuration. Although I think my proposal is very powerfull, it still requires a lot of configuration (but far less then what's needed in J1).
definte +1 on ease of use and heavy documentation ;)
Maybe different strategies can be defined for deriving the elements, and their order, so the elements section isn't always, or not at all, needed. One way could be allowing 'hidden' and 'order' attributes on Page and Folder configurations. Still, Link and element references will have to be defined. Maybe it could be done in separate configurations (files) instead of bundling them in one. Don't know if that would be an improvement though.
Again, can't a link be a simple text file with a with a url or maybe it contains an <a href=""> </a> tag in it.
Concerning the 'intuitive' menu definition issue: maybe what is needed is a change of view.
In J1 you won't have a menu unless you define it (completely) on every page which needs one.
Using this proposal, you usually have a standard menu definition (tabmenu on the top, tree menu on the left or something similar).
Only thing needed is a proper menu node configuration instead of a complete definition.
By default, a new Page could be automatically included in a menu unless it is made 'hidden'. It really is more a question of in which folder the Page should go to get it in the correct menu.
+1.
And using Links and Page or Folder references is simply adding them to the correct folder to get them included. With Links and references the site navigation can be defined 'on top' of the folder structure.
+1. Simple and easy to understand, I like it.
Regards,
Ate
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