You could do some simple registration system for something like this to make searching a little easier. It could include things like: - who made it and who is supporting it - where it is being used - what versions of DSpace does this plugin work with - does it require changing the core source code - a rating of the ease of installation of the plugin (ala youtube) - includes unit tests - includes installation documentation
This would provide search terms which would make it easier to find plugins. A recently updated and recently added list (with RSS) would make this simpler to keep up with. You could combine this information to generate a simple color indicator for each plugin. Something like green for production ready (no changes to source required, used by 2+ institutions in production, well supported, etc.), yellow for things are decent but need work still and red for experimental/in-progress (require changing core code, only in use at one place or less) which would make it easy to browse the list of good plugins vs. ones which are slapped together. I would think you would include a link to the binary and the source as well (or at least the source). Something like that might make it a lot easier to maintain as it would be up to the developers of each plugin to keep their entry up to date and those which are not being maintained would hopefully be obvious based on the last time they were updated. The ratings/comments would give the people downloading and installing a way to provide feedback. It might even be possible to take something out of the box to do this and just configure it but I don;t know what that might be. Just a thought -AZ On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 3:58 PM, Tim Donohue <[email protected]> wrote: > Mark, > > I'd agree with your points. Wiki pages would minimally work...but they > are never really maintained, especially when it takes a separate login > to the Wiki to update the latest details (versus having the > documentation and source code be stored together in a plugin directory). > > I don't know if we have enough of an interest community to support it, > but it'd be nice to have a directory dedicated for DSpace "plugins" or > "add-ons" (or whatever you want to call them). I'm thinking along the > lines of what Eclipse Plugin Central > (http://www.eclipseplugincentral.com/) is for Eclipse IDE. I don't > know enough about what OSUOSL can support, but it'd be nice to have the > following: > > * A directory of all these plugins (searchable/browseable) > * A generated "homepage" for each plugin where the main docs are > available, and perhaps contact info for whoever made/maintains the plugin > * A place to browse the plugin source code via SVN (preferably with > finer grained permissions for each plugin) > * Potentially even a place to add public comments, rate plugins, etc. > > In the end, I agree with Mark that a bazaar is much more what I'm > thinking of, rather than a list of plugins on a Wiki page (which is much > less interactive and less searchable). > > It's also true that many of the plugins that may be added to such a > system may "die out" or become unsupported quickly. But, at the very > least the source code is still *available* somewhere, so that someone > else could always pick it up and run with it. Right now, the DSpace > Community doesn't have anything like this, and source code for older, > unsupported projects (prime example: U of Rochester's Researcher Pages) > just dies out and disappears with no real hope of revival (at least > without a lot of work to track down the old code). > > In my mind this directory for DSpace plugins is something that the > DSpace Foundation should be thinking of providing. The first step to > really improving an open source project like DSpace is to give control > to everyone. This Plugin Directory idea gives control to individual > institutions and gives them a place to experiment and innovate (or build > off the experimentations/innovations of others in a more public > fashion). In my mind, it's also beneficial to the Committers, as the > innovative code is more "out there" and potentially even publicly > vetted, and then could be migrated into the core code more easily. > > This is not unlike how Eclipse seems to handle things...allowing for > various plugins to be built by anyone at Eclipse Plugin Central. Some > of these plugins may eventually go into the "incubator" phase > (http://www.eclipse.org/eclipse/incubator/) before sometimes being > accepted as core functionality. > > That's what I'd really like to see happen. So, Mark, if OSUOSL would > help support this type of Plugin Directory, I'd be all for it. > > - Tim > > Mark Diggory wrote: >> I think at least a WIKI page of projects is a good start, However, I >> challenge that we can do better than a WIKI page or a just a page of >> module descriptions. I predict such a page will suffer the fate of much >> of the other efforts to organize developer documentation and result in >> something that is in constant need of maintenance. >> >> I think we, as a community can do better, I've always been saying we >> need to change how we manage DSpace as a project and who can be involved >> with its project as committers, the barrier to developer entry is still >> way too high. >> >> The dspace-sandbox was setup to give a place for community members to >> participate as developers, to try to stimulate the growth of the >> community in a new direction of collaboration. I and others invested >> time and energy into getting it organized into at least a simple >> structure that projects could easily work within. Anyone who requests it >> can get an account there to use it. >> >> http://wiki.dspace.org/index.php/DSpaceResources#DSpace_Community_Sandbox >> >> >> On a sidenote: There are problems with what was going on in dspace-sandbox. >> >> 1.) There was an svk mirroring process I was running which was turned >> off because it turned into a mightmare to maintain when I left MIT. The >> process was ugly and hacky and showed why a central repository for all >> projects is necessary. The effort that went into maintaining mirrors >> was impractical. >> >> 2.) Theres no fine grained permissions on a per-project basis. For >> which the OSUOSL community would provide us in any manner we saw fit >> (not dissimilar to the Apache Community) >> >> IMHO, a list of projects isn't very interesting, but a bazar of shops in >> the town square, now thats much more interesting. >> >> Mark >> >> >> On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 7:51 AM, Mr Havercamp <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Larry Stone wrote: >> > I think it would be helpful to have a central directory or registry, >> > just to announce the >> > existence of each extension and point to where there is more >> > information about it. >> > This directory would be mentioned in the documentation and on the >> > front page of the >> > wiki so it's hard to miss. >> > >> > One way to do this is with a wiki category: give every module a wiki >> > page belonging to a category e.g. "PublicModule" and let the category >> > summary page be the directory. (I'm not saying the wiki is the best >> > tool for the job, it just happens to be available and familiar.) >> > >> > There are different kinds of modules and extensions that have >> > different packaging requirements. For example, a plugin >> > implementation that can be cleanly added could just point to its home >> > source code repository or SourceForge project. >> > >> > I ran into this problem too and just put a page up on the wiki with >> > source attached: >> > http://wiki.dspace.org/index.php/DSpace_SIP_Toolkit >> > It's a snippet of useful code, there ought to be a place to advertise >> > it to the community more effectively. >> > >> > -- Larry >> > >> A number of open source content management systems provide modules and >> extensions in categorized hierarchies making it easy to browse and >> search for 3rd party software. >> >> I notice that DSpace uses Joomla! for its main site and wonder if it is >> worth investigating setting up something similar to >> extensions.joomla.org <http://extensions.joomla.org>, where >> developers can host information about their >> projects and DSpace users can browse, download and comment on the addons >> on offer. >> > >> >> I know we have an SVN "sandbox" area on GoogleCode. But, in >> >> general it >> >> does not seem to support easily finding/searching these modules, >> other >> >> than maybe adding a page to the DSpace Wiki to find them. In >> >> addition, >> >> it's unclear if these sandbox modules are also available via Maven >> >> Central Repository (they don't seem to be), which would be more >> ideal >> >> for production-quality modules. >> >> >> >> A part of me even wonders whether the "sandbox" is the most >> >> appropriate >> >> place for production-quality modules (rather than the >> >> proof-of-concept/prototypes that usually appear there). >> >> >> >> I'm asking all this because I now have three production-quality >> custom >> >> DSpace 1.5.1 Maven modules which I'd like to make available more >> >> widely >> >> and allow others the opportunity to use, modify & help support: >> >> >> >> (1) Maven module for Delegated Administration (Community Admins, >> >> etc.) - >> >> Based on Andrea Bollini's patch with updated bug fixes, etc. >> [WARNING: >> >> Overrides some classes in dspace-api] >> >> >> >> (2) Maven module for basic Embargo/Access Restriction >> functionality - >> >> Based partially on U Michigan's embargo patch, with extra features, >> >> bug >> >> fixes, etc. [WARNING: Overrides some classes in dspace-api] >> >> >> >> (3) Maven module for basic Download Statistics - Based partially on >> >> old >> >> stats code (2-3 years old) from U of Rochester, and updated/migrated >> >> through the years...these stats are entirely DB driven and >> >> currently do >> >> not parse DSpace log files >> >> >> >> All three of these modules are now in production in our local >> >> repository >> >> (IDEALS): http://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/ They are all standalone >> Maven >> >> projects which work with DSpace 1.5.1 (XMLUI only at this time). >> I'd >> >> like to figure out the best way to make these available to the >> >> community >> >> at large. >> >> >> >> Suggestions from fellow developers/community members welcome! >> Is the >> >> sandbox the most appropriate place for these addons? Or is there >> >> another area where we should start to make space for more "mature" >> >> addons? >> >> >> >> - Tim >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Tim Donohue >> >> Research Programmer, IDEALS >> >> http://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/ >> >> University of Illinois >> >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> | (217) >> 333-4648 >> >> >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> -------- >> >> Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) >> >> are >> >> powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. >> >> Quickly and >> >> easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based >> >> development >> >> software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. >> >> Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Dspace-devel mailing list >> >> [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-devel >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> > Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex >> Builder(TM) are >> > powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. >> Quickly and >> > easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based >> development >> > software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. >> > Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Dspace-devel mailing list >> > [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-devel >> > >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) are >> powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. Quickly and >> easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based >> development >> software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. >> Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com >> _______________________________________________ >> Dspace-devel mailing list >> [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-devel >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Mark R. Diggory >> @mire >> >> http://purl.org/net/mdiggory/homepage - Bio >> http://www.atmire.com - Institutional Repository Solutions >> http://www.togather.eu - Before getting together, get t...@ther >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) are >> powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. Quickly and >> easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based development >> software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. >> Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Dspace-devel mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-devel > > -- > Tim Donohue > Research Programmer, IDEALS > http://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/ > University of Illinois > [email protected] | (217) 333-4648 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) are > powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. Quickly and > easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based development > software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. > Download the free 60 day trial. http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-adobe-com > _______________________________________________ > Dspace-devel mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-devel > -- Aaron Zeckoski ([email protected]) Senior Research Engineer - CARET - Cambridge University [http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/confluence/display/~aaronz/] Sakai Fellow - [http://aaronz-sakai.blogspot.com/] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apps built with the Adobe(R) Flex(R) framework and Flex Builder(TM) are powering Web 2.0 with engaging, cross-platform capabilities. Quickly and easily build your RIAs with Flex Builder, the Eclipse(TM)based development software that enables intelligent coding and step-through debugging. 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