Extensions/website/wishlist

From Apache OpenOffice Wiki
< Extensions‎ | website
Revision as of 07:57, 11 September 2007 by Tbo (Talk | contribs)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

moved from website page.

Introduction

This is a summary of the comments to the website repository:
Extension repository based on DRUPAL framework: http://extensions.services.openoffice.org
Hosted and started at OSU OSL: http://www.osuosl.org
Discussion at website@extensions.openoffice.org, irc://irc.freenode.net/ooo-ext

Todo's / Discussion / Comments

UI

Filter / Applications / Categories

  • (JSC) Filter options for extensions

(JSC) By Category -> we should probably find a better set of categories. Does category mean type of extension like Add-ons, Calc Add-ins, Filter, Templates, Macro Libraries, ... or what does it mean.

      • (TBO) As an experiment I changed the handling of Categories
  1. On submitting an extension you are able to provide 'tags'
  2. In the menu the categories are presented as weighted tags.
  • (TBO) The control is pretty smart if javascript is enabled but realy dumb if JS is disabled :-( TODO suggested:
    • (Andrew Jensen) It seems a better choice, IMO, to offer a pull down with a set of pre-defined, possibly generated list with new entries added, and then allow the author to add additional categories for her extension. - Or just provide a list without free form field.
    • (Verena Ruff)Support more separators: ,;:-...
  • (MMP) And (as mentioned above) a general category for Gallery schemes and templates makes sense.
  • (Verena Ruff) What about a new feature: an extension wishlist. If a user looks for an extension whith some specific features and doesn't find a proper one, then the user could post a message somewhere and explain what he was looking for and a programmer could pick up that task.
    • (JSC)of course such an channel can be useful, but i am not sure if the repository is the right place. I would expect it more on the mailing lists.But to lower any barriers we can think about it because for the mailing lists you have to subscribe.
  • (BH) When one searched an extension by application, it is not visible to which application the extension belongs: When I select 'By Application' and then for example 'Base' I await the following link 'Home > By Application > Base'. Currently it just sais 'Home > By Application'. And after having selected an extension, e.g. the Report Builder, it should say 'Home > By Application > Base > Report Builder' and not, as currently, 'Home > Browse Extensions'. In principal this applies for all those entries in the 'Extensions' box on the left side, not only for 'By Application'.

Extension submission / Releasing

    • (LH) Just as you say it, "contribute" is my primary motivation, not "register" or "log in". I seriously suggest to remove the credentials and the registration link and replace it by a "contribute" or "upload" link, then go to a page explaining that registration is required, and so on...
  • (MMP) Some extensions have special system requirements. Like OOo 2.3 and higher, or Windows only. Would be great if such info is a) provided and b) can be filtered like category or application
  • (MMP) If I submit an extension,... I am asked to enter the locale. Well, what is this? I have an extension with an English AND German user interface.
    • (JSC) should probably be a list of supported locales. Extensions should always have a default locale (ideally English). so if no appropriate locale is availble the English one is used.
      • (TBO) This one caused some sleepless nights ;-) -> The locale you select on top of an extension submission controls under which locale the extension will be shown on the extension website! This is for presenting extension descriptions for several languages; If it should be shown in all languages select <any>
  • (BH) In the description text below the 'short extension name:' field we should add, that no blancs and special characters should be used.


Extension/Website language

This is something for the ToDo list; Simon Lopez volounteers for making translations possible

  • (TBO)you see only extensions that reflect your current language setting
  • (TBO)There is a difference in language of content and UI language of the website, which you select with the language selection in teh left menu.
The website is enabled to show the content in different languages.
For this you can define for every content you create under which language it should be shown.
If you create content, the setting from your user settings is selected as an default.
If you browse the website, the language from your browser is used, until you login, then the language you selected in your user settings is used.
To make your content available to every language, select the locale <any> on submitting an extension.
If you don't see enough extensions, switch the locale in your browser to english ;-)
This one should go into an extension submission guide. 
  • (JSC)we should make it as an requirement, that at least an English description for the website is provided. The reason is to use English as a fallback language. Anyway i would keep it rather simple.
  • (JSC)I think it would be good practise to have English as supported language in an extension as well. Maybe we should define this as an requirement as well.

Download of extension

    • (mathias.michel) Hosting downloads ensure us to have at least one copuy of the extension. If the same not-so-stanbdard user hosts the file on his free webspace service, links to it. One year later, he closes his space, and no more package... We may propose to host download without enforcing it. Infrastructure should be there, of course. If not, maybe mirrors of OOo distrib will accept to host extensions repository ?
Options for extension download:
The result depends on which values are provided:
a) The 'old' one: upload the file.
   -> Download button results in getting the file.
b) If no file is uploaded, provide a URL in the field 'Download URL:' that points to an extension.
   -> Download button results in getting the file from the URL.
c) If no file is uploaded (a) and the URL from b) is empty, you can point to an external page, from where the
   extension can be downloaded, put the URL into the field:'Download from page / Open follow up page URL:'
   -> Download button results in opening the page provided by the URL.
d) To open a web page during the download:
   If you've already choosen a) or b) and put an URL into the field c) 'Download from page / Open follow up page URL:'.
   -> Download button results in getting the file and opening the page provided by the URL. (This only works if javascript is enabled)
e) If nothing is provided, the download button is there and leads to page where it says sorry, that no download is available.
As a fallback, in case any redirect doesn't work, there is always a link to click at.

Issues

If you would like to help, take a look onto the setup of the site: Extensions/website/setup

Registered user / Anonymous user

  • (MMP) If I am not logged in, I still have the link to Submit an extension. The page could provide some info like, "In order to submit an extension you have to create a user account first."
    • (TBO) Currently disabled, but the link should be created as MMP suggests.

Extension submission / Releasing

  • (Andrew Jensen) Explain the yellow star * on every page where it is used.

Rating of extensions

  • (Georg Link) I tried the Rating function. In IE it updates the Average rating, but in FX I get the following error:Fehler: missing ; before statement ...

General Comments

  • (JSC) that we have a working extension repository in place with hopefully some nice extensions for the OpenOffice.org conference in September.
  • (JSC) the developers who will help to improve it in the future
  • (TBO) I would like to try to improve the site;
  • (TBO) Start using the site just for what it is intended for: hosting of extensions;
  • (TBO) The site should get an end user focus for downloading extensions.
  • (Laurent Godard) compare to the design and functions of https://addons.mozilla.org
  • (Georg Link) Offers help for: translating the extenstionwebsite into German and programming/setting up
  • (Simon Lopez) volunteers for evaluating/implementing the translation prozess.

Keep in mind / targets

(Corey Shields)

  • provide a layer of moderation by a vetted community (a lesson learned from Mozilla and the constant flow of malware extensions)

(Laurent Godard)

  • extensible metadata
  • advanced search features
  • RSS feed
  • translations
  • thumbnails/screenshots (localized too)
  • a repository hosting the extensions or not (eg. commercial/non-free that rewards partially or totally OOo project)
  • the extension site should have 3-4 access modes:
    • standard: a user that downloads an extensions
    • submitter: an author that submit and manage a pool of extensions
    • translators: a user that is allowed to give translations on any description of an extension.
    • admin/rewiever: validates the extensions
  • the following architecture has already been proposed. The repository is cut in 3 levels (so a metadata for every extension)
    • Wild : by default submission - All explicit disclaimers
    • Reviewed : Tested bty a rewiever regarding basic flaws
    • Recommended : Often used and requested feature. has been widely tested

Meetings

http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Extensions/website/Minutes

Comments are from:

JSC - Juergen Schmidt
MMP - Matthias Mueller-Prove
TBO - Thorsten Bosbach (admin)
Corey Shields (admin)
Laurent Godard
Mathias Michel
Verena Ruff
Georg Link (admin)
Andrew Jensen
Alex Buchanan (admin)
Simon Lopez
Personal tools