Re: Improving web2py.com/appliances

[Anthony]

I want to improve appliances app and I want to discuss it before.
I am motivated by Anthony's post here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/web2py/XBFkKYRjBuY/s0edf9erzBMJ
because my idea is similar to his suggestion.

I wanted to make generic application that could be used instead of current appliances app.
Plan is to:
1. add Auth and implement (a) (b) and (d) [from Anthony's post]
2. add categories, or tags (c)
3. users could be able to give ratings to applications (instead of (e)? )

I think this is a good idea, but probably in addition to (e) rather than instead. In addition to user ratings, I think it's also helpful for knowledgeable editors to identify best-in-class, well-tested, well-documented apps/plugins to be featured more prominently. In our earlier discussions regarding web2pyslices, the idea was maybe even to implement something like "web2py approved" apps and plugins (much like http://flask.pocoo.org/docs/extensiondev/#approved-extensions). 

 

Quoting Anthony: "web2pyslices 2.0 was originally intended to include this functionality"

I wanted to make standalone app but I really like the idea of web2pyslices and I wish it becomes more popular.

Slices are made with movuca CMS so this is a question to Bruno:
How close is movuca/web2pyslices to providing this functionality?
Instead of making new appliances, I can help extending movuca/slices.

I think it would be ideal to incorporate this with web2pyslices. Much of the functionality is probably already there, and that's where all the recipes are -- it makes sense to have a single place to go for all user-contributed code (recipes/apps/plugins/development tools).

I also think it might be a good idea to incorporate web2pyslices into web2py.com (e.g., web2py.com/slices) -- it can retain its current layout/design, but should be linked from the web2py.com main navigation.

Also, here are some thoughts we had regarding dealing with outdated recipes/apps/plugins:

On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 9:23 AM, Massimo Di Pierro wrote:
One thing to consider is that recipes get quickly outdates as time passes by (because of new functionality in web2pyand new syntax and better recipes). I think there the rating or recipes should automatically decrease as time goes by and should automatically increase when they are downloaded. Every once in a while, we should email the author with a link [click here is this is still valid] and/or [click here to revise].
 
Yes, this is a good point, and frankly, the same goes for plugins and appliances. Notice on Bruno's web2pyslices_slice.png mockup, there are "Tag as invalid" and "Tag as outdated" tags, which should help (I suppose we have to decide who is allowed to set those). We should make it easy (and maybe even the default) to filter "invalid" and "outdated" slices out of searches. It would also be helpful to include some kind of "Current as of web2py version: 1.xx.x" field in each slice, and maybe allow users to sort and/or filter based on that. If the author clicks the [click here if this is still valid] link Massimo suggested above, the "Current as of web2py version: 1.xx.x" field could automatically update to the current version number.

Anthony

[Bruno Rocha]

Hi!

web2pyslices are now hosted on PythonAnywhere and it is now very easy for me to give access for community members to help with content moderation and app improvement. Also it is easy now to share the server console in PythonAnywhere.

I will put the code of slices in a separate repository under bitbucket and so I can give access for you, Anthony, Massimo and somebody else who wants to contribute.

w2pslices is open for modifications and improvements for the needs of community! 

I will send the credentials to you and Anthony and we can create a space to discuss those things.

I dont know if we need to change it from web2pyslices.com, maybe just adding a redirection from web2py.com/slices --> web2pyslices.com would work. the current url is linked in to many recources, book, cookbook and indexed by google. 

[Bruno Rocha]

BTW:

Should I put the web2pyslices code in a public github repo or it is better a private git repo in bitbucket?

[Anthony]

I dont know if we need to change it from web2pyslices.com, maybe just adding a redirection from web2py.com/slices --> web2pyslices.com would work. the current url is linked in to many recources, book, cookbook and indexed by google.

That's fine, though another option is to move it to web2py.com/slices and then set up redirection from web2pyslices.com to handle the legacy links. In any case, the main thing is to add a link to web2pyslices in the top nav of web2py.com (right now, there's just a small generic "recipes" link near the bottom of the home page, and another link near the bottom of the Docs & Resources page). 

Anthony

[massimo....@gmail.com]

One advice. Keep it github based and not db baed. This will make it easier to mirror

From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.

-------- Original message -------- Subject: [web2py-dev] Improving web2py.com/appliances From: Marin Pranjić To: web2py-d...@googlegroups.com CC:

Hello everyone.

I want to improve appliances app and I want to discuss it before.
I am motivated by Anthony's post here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/web2py/XBFkKYRjBuY/s0edf9erzBMJ
because my idea is similar to his suggestion.

I wanted to make generic application that could be used instead of current appliances app.
Plan is to:
1. add Auth and implement (a) (b) and (d) [from Anthony's post]
2. add categories, or tags (c)
3. users could be able to give ratings to applications (instead of (e)? )

4. sorting (by rating...), filtering (search) and much more in the future

Quoting Anthony: "web2pyslices 2.0 was originally intended to include this functionality"

I wanted to make standalone app but I really like the idea of web2pyslices and I wish it becomes more popular.

Slices are made with movuca CMS so this is a question to Bruno:
How close is movuca/web2pyslices to providing this functionality?
Instead of making new appliances, I can help extending movuca/slices.

@everyone, I would like to see your opinions and suggestions.

@Massimo, what do you prefer?


Regards,
Marin

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[massimo....@gmail.com]

Your call

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-------- Original message -------- Subject: Re: [web2py-dev] Re: Improving web2py.com/appliances From: Bruno Rocha To: web2py-d...@googlegroups.com CC:

BTW:

Should I put the web2pyslices code in a public github repo or it is better a private git repo in bitbucket?

[pbreit]

Regarding outdated-ness, I wonder if more of a wiki approach would improve things, where others could make edits?

[Massimo DiPierro]

Right now people can edit the book. 

The book has a complex DB structure due to the fact that is was not open. I am planning to move the entire book to github. This will make easier to mirror it, edit and generate the PDFs. I may be able to do it this week.

Massimo

On Aug 4, 2012, at 6:05 PM, pbreit wrote:

Regarding outdated-ness, I wonder if more of a wiki approach would improve things, where others could make edits?

[Marin Pranjić]

Dana petak, 3. kolovoza 2012. 18:59:45 UTC+2, korisnik Anthony napisao je:

I think this is a good idea, but probably in addition to (e) rather than instead. In addition to user ratings, I think it's also helpful for knowledgeable editors to identify best-in-class, well-tested, well-documented apps/plugins to be featured more prominently.

I agree.

@Massimo, if we want to have functionality described above, we have to use database.

IMHO we should merge appliances with web2pyslices. Web2py.com should have a link to slices but they should not be merged.
Apps/plugins content on web2pyslices will not be updated too frequently.
We can generate static html file from it and put it in web2py.com/appliances.
This can be updated once a day or when there is need to update. And it can be mirrored.
Is there a problem that I am not aware of?

@Bruno, my vote is for bitbucket.

[Anthony]

@Massimo, if we want to have functionality described above, we have to use database.

We'll need a database to store the postings/slices, but the actual source code for each app/plugin should ideally be hosted in its own public repo (github, Google Code, BitBucket). Currently, all the existing appliances are hosted in a single github repo -- once we have users posting their own apps and plugins, it makes more sense to have separate repos.

 

Apps/plugins content on web2pyslices will not be updated too frequently.
We can generate static html file from it and put it in web2py.com/appliances.

Assuming we move apps/plugins to web2pyslices, why don't we just redirect web2py.com/appliances to web2pyslices.com (maybe to a more specific URL that goes directly to the application postings)? Same for web2py.com/plugins. How about web2py.com/layouts?

Anthony

[Bruno Rocha]

On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 2:54 PM, Anthony <abas...@gmail.com> wrote:

@Massimo, if we want to have functionality described above, we have to use database.

We'll need a database to store the postings/slices, but the actual source code for each app/plugin should ideally be hosted in its own public repo (github, Google Code, BitBucket). Currently, all the existing appliances are hosted in a single github repo -- once we have users posting their own apps and plugins, it makes more sense to have separate repos.

If we are going to keep Movu.ca base, it is very easy to create a content type for each thing, plugin, app, recipe.. look this: http://movu.ca/demo/article/show/1/how-to-create-content-types-in-movuca-cms

 

 

Apps/plugins content on web2pyslices will not be updated too frequently.
We can generate static html file from it and put it in web2py.com/appliances.

Assuming we move apps/plugins to web2pyslices, why don't we just redirect web2py.com/appliances to web2pyslices.com (maybe to a more specific URL that goes directly to the application postings)? Same for web2py.com/plugins. How about web2py.com/layouts?

Agree, it is easy to have a page in movu.ca which reflects a search for some content_type.

http://www.web2pyslices.com/slice/list?content_type_id=1

we can change/map  ?content_type_id=1 to /recipes, /plugins, /appliances 

[Massimo DiPierro]

If you or anybody else wants to take this over, it is ok with me.

The code of appliances is on appliances itself (github).

massimo

[Marin Pranjić]

On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 7:54 PM, Anthony <abas...@gmail.com> wrote:

We'll need a database to store the postings/slices, but the actual source code for each app/plugin should ideally be hosted in its own public repo (github, Google Code, BitBucket). Currently, all the existing appliances are hosted in a single github repo -- once we have users posting their own apps and plugins, it makes more sense to have separate repos.

 

Yes but current appliances does not use database at all. We have to store links to repos (etc) somewhere...
Maybe I misunderstood what Massimo wanted to say. However, I agree with you Anthony.

Assuming we move apps/plugins to web2pyslices, why don't we just redirect web2py.com/appliances to web2pyslices.com (maybe to a more specific URL that goes directly to the application postings)? Same for web2py.com/plugins. How about web2py.com/layouts?

Massimo mentioned mirroring so I suggested a plan that covers it.
If there will be no need for mirroring, ignore my response.
I think it will not but I wanted to respond to his concern, just in case.

I agree with your suggestion.
Quoting you again: " it makes sense to have a single place to go for all user-contributed code"
If my english was little better this would be my words in the first post. :-)

@Bruno
I think movuca should be kept as a base. Thanks for the link, I will try it next week.

Marin

[Michele Comitini]

+1 movu.ca

It would be nice to have applications under a single tree in a single
repository, with correct permissions, but as you never know how things
go over the years it is better not to be bound to a single provider
and support different sources to avoid vendor lockup.
Maybe in the future with enough resources to have a web2py dedicated
repository.

mic


2012/8/7 Marin Pranjić <marin....@gmail.com>:

[Anthony]

+1 movu.ca

It would be nice to have applications under a single tree in a single
repository, with correct permissions

If we want users to submit (and then continue to develop and maintain) their own applications and plugins, wouldn't it be better to let them each have their own public repo (wherever they want) and just link to it?

Anthony

[Michele Comitini]

>
> If we want users to submit (and then continue to develop and maintain) their
> own applications and plugins, wouldn't it be better to let them each have
> their own public repo (wherever they want) and just link to it?
>

The important thing is that there is one place where applications
listed are *working* and *supported. And users do not have to waste
time harvesting for repository, bug tracking, mailing lists and so on.
A sort of endorsement for applications that fulfill some QA and are
willing to be endorsed of course.

mic

[Anthony]

> If we want users to submit (and then continue to develop and maintain) their
> own applications and plugins, wouldn't it be better to let them each have
> their own public repo (wherever they want) and just link to it?
>
The important thing is that there is one place where applications
listed are *working* and *supported.

That's the problem -- who's going to support all those applications and plugins? Once they're in a web2py-controlled repository, the original authors aren't going to maintain them there. We could come up with some easy, automated way for users to download/install the apps, but the source code shouldn't be hosted in a central web2py-controlled repository. Look at http://flask.pocoo.org/extensions/ -- they're all hosted in their own repos as well as on PyPI.

Note, admin now includes an "install from git repo" option, so that would make it easy for users to install apps from public repositories. Maybe we could add functionality to admin to include a dropdown list of all the registered appliances that can be pulled from a git repo (and maybe enable this for plugins as well).

Anthony

[pbreit]

It would seem like Github should have some features for setting up module directories like this. It does have a "starring" feature which perhaps would work. Then repos would display on: https://github.com/web2py/following

[Anthony]

It would seem like Github should have some features for setting up module directories like this. It does have a "starring" feature which perhaps would work. Then repos would display on: https://github.com/web2py/following

Nice. There's actually an API for that as well: https://api.github.com/users/web2py/watched. So, the web2py repo could watch other github repos, and the API could retrieve those and list them in admin. Alternatively, assuming the app/plugin postings on web2pyslices include repo links, web2pyslices could expose its own API that the admin app could query to get a list of available repos (and maybe there could be a review process to limit this to "approved" repos).

Anthony