Importing existing TiddlyWikis into TiddlySpace

[Ben Gillies]

I'm moving this discussion to the group. In summary: there is no current way of importing an existing TiddlyWiki into TiddlySpace, whether as a new space, or into an existing one. This would be useful functionality to have; current options include a proxy, and something resembling wimporter.

Discussion so far reproduced below:

>>>> *Some way of importing an existing tiddlywiki would be good. Something

>>>> like wimporter maybe?

>>>

>>> It's an open question at the moment, waiting on input from the team at

>>> large, on whether importing should be wimporter-ish or the backstage

>>> importer should be used, along with a proxy. Given the overriding

>>> design principle of doing things client side where possible, I reckon

>>> it should be via proxy. But this hasn't been confirmed, tested,

>>> discussed etc. Please chime in with opinions.

>

> My concern with a proxy, is where would we point it? Given that people have

> TiddlyWikis all over the place, including not online at all, a simplified

> wimporter could be quite useful. Even if its only "upload a TiddlyWiki as a

> new space".

The proxy lives on the tiddlyspace server and accepts any url for

proxy. It would require that the current user be an authenticated user

of tiddlyspace in order for the /proxy user to be accessible and

usable.

(So we wouldn't be creating an open proxy).

My understanding is that this is already how some of the existing

tiddlywiki hosting services handle things.

The processs could be (if online):

* create a new space

* go to import in the backstage (it would need to be put back in)

* enter a URL

* that causes the _server_ to get the content and return it to the

  the browser for use

Problems with this:

* what about my tiddlywiki on local disk?

* what about when I'm not online?

Getting content in from other places is probably the most important

issue we have to deal with. It's likely we're going to need multiple

angles to handle it.

I would like it to be possible to, when offline, import a wiki from a

file: URI and then, using a plugin, automagically set the server.*

fields to cause these tiddlers to sync to the server the next time I

sync. (I reckon this is something that ought to be built into

TiddlyWebWiki and is not something specific to TiddlySpace).

[FND]

> current options include a proxy, and something resembling wimporter

I think that, at least to begin with, it would be more useful/versatile
to be able to POST a TiddlyWiki document to the server. A proxy would
merely make it more comfortable to import documents directly from the
web (avoiding the download step - though that might not be required
anyway, thanks to CORS*).

> I would like it to be possible to, when offline, import a wiki from a
> file: URI and then, using a plugin, automagically set the server.*
> fields to cause these tiddlers to sync to the server the next time I
> sync. (I reckon this is something that ought to be built into
> TiddlyWebWiki and is not something specific to TiddlySpace).

Yes, that's worth keeping in mind for when we fix the unplugged
experience for TiddlyWebWiki (which is currently somewhat buggy).

-- F.

*
http://www.nczonline.net/blog/2010/05/25/cross-domain-ajax-with-cross-origin-resource-sharing/

[Ben Gillies]

On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 2:37 PM, FND <FN...@gmx.net> wrote:

current options include a proxy, and something resembling wimporter

I think that, at least to begin with, it would be more useful/versatile to be able to POST a TiddlyWiki document to the server. A proxy would merely make it more comfortable to import documents directly from the web (avoiding the download step - though that might not be required anyway, thanks to CORS*).

I think both options would be quite useful. Definitely from a local development point of view, POSTing a TiddlyWiki to the server would be really useful. On the proxy issue, I recently set up a couple of proxies for my local (note taking) instance of TiddlyWeb. This leads me onto my next point/observation.

 

I would like it to be possible to, when offline, import a wiki from a
file: URI and then, using a plugin, automagically set the server.*
fields to cause these tiddlers to sync to the server the next time I
sync. (I reckon this is something that ought to be built into
TiddlyWebWiki and is not something specific to TiddlySpace).

Yes, that's worth keeping in mind for when we fix the unplugged experience for TiddlyWebWiki (which is currently somewhat buggy).

For the most part, going through the standard TiddlyWiki import thing worked fine. All that was required was setting the server.* fields appropriately. This involved merging the config.defaultCustomFields, and removing the server.page.revision field. This is definitely something that should be built into TiddlyWebWiki.

>The proxy lives on the tiddlyspace server and accepts any url for

>proxy. It would require that the current user be an authenticated user

>of tiddlyspace in order for the /proxy user to be accessible and

>usable.

>(So we wouldn't be creating an open proxy).

But if you registered for an account you could then use it as one? Could we add some sort of check only letting through TiddlyWiki files?

[FND]

> I would like it to be possible to, when offline, import a wiki from a
> file: URI and then, using a plugin, automagically set the server.*
> fields to cause these tiddlers to sync to the server

Quick hack:
http://fnd.tiddlyspace.com/#uploadToTiddlySpace

Requires TiddlyWebAdaptor - read the code to understand what to do (in a
hurry, gotta run).

-- F.

[Paul Downey]

> Quick hack:
> http://fnd.tiddlyspace.com/#uploadToTiddlySpace
>
> Requires TiddlyWebAdaptor - read the code to understand what to do (in a
> hurry, gotta run).

This worked great .. even with 4MB worth of 1000 tiddlers, thanks!

though I've an issue with tiddlers containing SVG .. will investigate
and report back ..

--
Paul (psd)
http://blog.whatfettle.com

[Richard Drake]

> This worked great .. even with 4MB worth of 1000 tiddlers, thanks!

I just tried it too - on http://rdrake98.tiddlyspace.com. That was
well good - except for the fact it obliterated the time stamps for
tiddler creation/change.

Anyhow, as it says on the first tiddler, I don't even know if anyone
can now edit this. Best to sign your text if you do, as I've no doubt
overriden much that allows you to track all that.

Richard