Forum .LRN Q&A: FAQ Package

1: FAQ Package

Posted by Cho Wing (William) Wong on 10/06/02 01:04 PM

I am now working on modify the existing FAQ package that it have
functionalities to import and export XML file, i would like to know
where i should start from

2: Response to FAQ Package (response to 1)

Posted by Samir Joshi on 10/06/02 03:26 PM

Hi !

<p>This is good idea and it will save lot of time.

<p>We did similar work for Wimpy-Point and Glossary (PGSQL only) that can be found here : https://openacs.org/new-file-storage/one-file.tcl?file_id=434

<p>Currently ns_xml module can be used to export/import but I think there are efforts underway to replace it with TCLDOM etc, but for time being ns_xml should be ok.

3: Response to FAQ Package (response to 1)

Posted by Roberto Mello on 10/07/02 07:30 AM

You folks are duplicating work. What should really be doing is a generic export/import facitily for OpenACS, probably acs-service-contract-based, that would create a framework for any package to export/import into XML format.

IIRC, Jon Griffin has already started some work on this so you might want to cantact him. It's something that would be much more useful than 20 different ways to export/import depending on the package.

4: Response to FAQ Package (response to 1)

Posted by Jon Griffin on 10/07/02 04:49 PM

Roberto is correct. I am working on generic export/import and I will post my specs this week. It is high on my priority list to get this going. I would love to have help, but realize, this will probably not be an openacs package. Rather it would be an aolserver module that can be used by openacs.

5: Response to FAQ Package (response to 1)

Posted by Caroline Meeks on 10/07/02 06:57 PM

Another starting place is looking at the IMS (imsproject.org) specifications for the XML dictionary. Specifically the content packaging and meta data specifications are among the more frequently implemented and probably applicable here.

I realize that full "compliance" with these specs is probably well outside your scope, but if we all work towards IMS I think we can maximize code reuse and minimize duplication of effort.

OCW (ocw.mit.edu) announced at the EduCause conference that they intend to use these specifications to transfer data between the various MIT course management platforms and OCW. This means that eventually SloanSpace will implement a subsection IMS. OCW is still in the process of creating technical specs, so I do not yet know the time frame and I certainly can not guarantee that complete "compliance" will be in scope for Sloan either.

That said, my long term vision is that if indivdual dotLRN projects implement peices of IMS specifications to meet thier needs, that one of the OACS companies will find it in thier business interests to take it the remaining delta to compliance.

Michael Feldstein is another big IMS fan and a bit further up the learning curve on IMS then myself. I'm sure that he, as well as myself, will be happy to help you in interpreting how the specs can apply to FAQ.