[OGo-Discuss] user contribs [was Re: [OGo-Users] Default settings for new appointments, tasks...]

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> > That doesn't mean that I'm against "Ajax" in the WebUI :-) Though I
> > wonder whether it makes a lot of sense. Going with an IE specific
> > DHTML UI *and* a XUL UI is probably less effort and provides better
> > results.
> > Anyways, for discussions we have the discuss mailing list ...
> Just an idea. 
> Why not have a dedicated user contrib section on the main plone site that 
> would allow users to share and distribute patches or code of modules or fixes 
> to cool enhancements that are clearly identified as user contrib's, not 
> tested and not recommended for production use. In that manner members with 
> skill can contribute, users are made aware that its strictly buyer be ware,

But that would require people to both build OpenGroupware on their own
AND apply patches.  I think the pool of people able/willing to do so is
actually rather small.

I've considered building packages (RPM) of OGo that contain a set of
patches;  but who would test them?  It is hard to muster the gumption
until someone specifically volunteers [and who has been around awhile so
I suspect they will follow through] .

> and the main code tree in svn does not become polluted. With time and testing 
> by OGo/Skyrix group of developers, pending on license, code could be merged 
> as testing permit. 

Is there anything in bugzilla currently that looks like a sign-off for
licensing of patches?  I know the Samba project has gotten to be very
fastidious about this;  your have to post to the list that you mean your
patch to be included under the license [or I believe that is how it
works].  But of course OGo is much further out on the radar scope than
Samba.

> At present the are many bits of code, solutions or patches in plone but you 
> need to look for them specifically. In other words you need to know exactly 
> what you are looking for. This is OK for long time project members or new 
> members with an advanced skill set. New users are left in the cold at present 
> as contribs are not easily identified in the search function as no one 
> ever "to the best of my limited knowledge" uses the keyword indexing system 
> upon content generation. 

I barely know anything about the "keyword indexing system"

> One simple solution is to tag a file or document with the keyword "user 
> contrib" or something similar to be agreed upon by the project and plone 
> admin then setup a global folder like for "user docs" tab and all "user 
> contrib's" are indexed and collated on one page. 

I don't know;  I think uploading a patch to bugzilla is still a better
method.  And many people are familiar with bugzilla since it is a
pervasive [albeit hideous] application.   You can write doc plone
entries that have links to bugzilla bugs / patches.  I just worry that
stuff in the plone is easily lost track of;  bugzilla dings me about new
bugs and changes to bugs.

> If we take this one step further and systematize the input format; say with a 
> brief explanation of what the code does, rev version test on etc etc. then 
> users would have a nice way of testing solutions or mods with limited support 
> and extraneous discussions. What you want to avoid is longish discussions on 
> why stuff doesnt work on certain rev's of OGo. What you want is discussion on 
> stuff that works and doenst work on tested versions of OGo. Those are the 
> important ones and serve as a pre test phase for eventual conclusion if so 
> desired into the main source code branch. 

This is exactly what bugzilla does.

> Now that Adam has commit access for patches perhaps this could also be used to 

I don't;  not yet anyway, to my knowledge.

> distribute the work load of the testing phase while limiting people with 
> actual commit access and ensuring quality at the same time. 
> Just my 2 cents Canadian (approx 0.5 Eur cents)

Testing is certainly welcome;  and people can test now, getting the
patches out of bugzilla.  One annoying thing about patches is no one
takes them the same way from the same root.  A plone entry on how to
prepare/create a patch would be a very good thing.