"If you have OACS installed, that means the request will the be picked up by the request processor. VAT doesn't work with or know about the OACS subsite module"--Tom Jackson
Hmm.. very interesting.. It seems like a contradiction to me, though, because I don't get the underlying principles of your explanation (yet).
From the subsites-requirements page:
"Subsites enable a single OpenACS instance to provide each subcommunity with its own 'virtual website' by assembling OpenACS packages that together deliver a feature set tailored to the needs of the subcommunity" (Vision Statement)
..At an implementation level this is primarily accomplished by having an application "scope" its content to a particular package instance. The request processor then figures out which package_id a particular URL references and then provides this information through the ad_conn api. (System Overview, Para 1)
.."The other piece of the subsite system is a subsite package that provides subsite admins a "control panel" for administering their subsite. This is the same package used to provide all the community core functionality available at the 'main' site which is in fact simply another subsite." (System Overview, para 2)
Since both VAT and subsites work with the request processor, I would imagine either the combination would work as hoped, there would be some kind of fatal error, or the virtual request through the VAT would be ignored by subsites... because it thinks it's a different animal (package_id). Ah ha! Is this what you are stating? If so, any suggestions on how I could get it to listen? Could the VAT recognize multiple package_id(s)?
I can see this application of VAT and subsites used to create a boston.officesite.com, newyork.officesite.com or client1.site.com, client2.site.com, or even mgt350.dotlrn.edu, syscidept.dotlrn.edu etc. etc. Using subsites (with templating) there could be all sorts of pre-made templates setup for creating small-communities on the fly...
[note: disregard question regarding openacs.hub.org etc. A link served from apache points to an AOLserver instance at a different port --I wasn't thinking clearly at that point ;)]
