How to spread a set of actualised customisations to several wikis which are already in use?

[Jeronimo Minino]

Hi.

Let me try to explain the title question:

As one of the many teachers of Foreign Languages who earn a living teaching hours at different universities, the pandemic has forced me to start teaching a lot of online classes, which means having to revamp all my teaching materials and procedures. As I champion open source software and I love the ideas behind TiddlyWiki, I am trying to use TW as much as possible for all my teaching purposes, which means I am creating a growing number of TW files.

There is a set of customisations I want to apply to all new wikis (including plugins, interface tweaks and a number of text/table tiddlers which I want to have in every wiki.).

And naturally, this set of customisations evolves with time as I discover new useful plugins, think of new interface tweaks and edit soe text/table tiddlers.

I found it impractical to customize every new wiki individually, so what I do is:

I keep actualizing ONE customized "empty" TW file, and each time I need to make a new wiki, I will use a copy of that file.

Now my question is:

For wikis already being in use, which begin to feel "old": What would be an efficient way to "update" them once in a while, to have them reflect the present state of customizations as in the "empty" wiki file that I always keep actualizing?

Such task will include, at least: 

- updating some text/table tiddlers

- modifying some interface tweaks,  

- adding some new plugins, 

- updating some of the old plugins. 

I am still not knowledgeable enough  as to think of a sound "update" procedure. 

Sofar all I have been able to come up with is this:

- I could take a copy from my customized, actualized "empty" file

- then I could export "All tiddlers" (right side panel, tab "More", sub-tab "All") from the "old" wiki to this new file.

- In Control Panel, change the title and subtitle of the new wiki file.

But I fear these steps may not be enough, because...:

1)

 Some plugins might have modified some shadow or system tiddlers on the old wiki file. How can I have the new file reflect these changes?

2)

 Some plugins might have stored data in places I cannot even imagine... (For example, I have no clue where does TiddlyMap store the data which effects the spatial arrangement of nodes in map "views"). 

What kind of strategy can I implement to cover those cases?

3) 

I might have to take care of other issues I am not even aware of yet.

Any advise will be appreciated.

Jero

PS 

btw. I am still using single-html-file wikis only. 

But as I soon will need to have wikis online for my students to,  I probably must find time very soon to learn how to set up TW with Node.js (still NO clue).

[TW Tones]

Jero,

Consider adding a procedure or workflow on top of your activity to update your empty template. Sure progressively build the template but store a version number in it, and capture your changes into a release json file. 

You may wish to trap imports and installs using the bundler plugin which builds an Import Bundle and also develop another mechaisium to capture changes in settings an configs then you export them.

Your could make a cumulative package for all releases. Or only do so for minor versions.

Regards

Tonyes

[Mohammad]

One simple solution is to download a new empty.html

add all your customization, plugins, theme and etc

then open it in a browser

and drag and drop the new wiki over old wiki! Save

that is all!

[Jeronimo Minino]

to Tonyes ( TW Tones ) : 

Thank you so much.

I will take your suggestions as a challenge in three phases: 

1.

I'll google, study, and try to implement these: 

- [capture changes into a release json file]

- [trap imports and installs using the Bundler plugin & Import Bundle]

2.

Then I'll see if I can figure out how to:

- [develop another mechanism to capture changes in settings an configs]   

- [then export them]

3.

And by then I hope I'll start to have a clue on what does it mean to:

- [make a cumulative package for all releases. Or only do so for minor versions]

Have a nice day.

[Jeronimo Minino]

to Mohammad:

Wow, thanks a lot, I definitely want to try that!

Just I don't seem to make sense of how to open the new file in a browser and then dragging-and-dropping it onto the old one.

I guess I will try opening the new file in a browser window and then dragging-and-dropping the *old* file onto that browser window

- ...or should I do it the other way around?

[Mohammad]

Jero,

I mean open old one and drag and drop the new one over it!

This way if there is a similar tiddler in both the newer will overwrite the old one

[Jeronimo Minino]

Got it! 

I'll try that, Mohammad, thank you very much.

(btw I'm loving Tiddlyshow! So useful for teaching purposes!)

[Mohammad]

Thank you Jero!

Glad you like Tiddlyshow! I am using it for teaching too!

I am waiting for the new Tiddlywiki 5.1.23 release, it has amazing features and let me to improve Tiddlyshow!

Best wishes

Mohammad