PluginDirectory:Wikka

A Plugin Directory for Wikka

There are many great plugins contributed by Wikka users. Since our goal is to keep Wikka's core as small as possible, while allowing extensibility, a user-maintained plugin directory (with code and instructions on how to install specific extensions) would be the most natural solution. As part of our effort to make the development and maintenance of plugins easier, we would like to create a dedicated plugin directory in the Wikka SVN repository.

Contributors will be able to upload and maintain plugins, link them from development pages, keep track of changes and allow easy diff'ing/merging for users.

The first step: choosing a good directory layout

We have now the possibility to create SVN user accounts restricted to specific nodes of the repository. This means that any contributor willing to upload plugins, patches and modifications will be able to do this without messing up the core development line or other users' contributions.

Depending on how contributors will post their plugins, different approaches are possible:

1.User folders with plugin subfolders

(each user will be able to create subfolders for each plugin/hack)

wikka/plugins
.............../DarTar
....................../skineditor
....................../useradmin

2. Simple plugin folders

(a flat organization fo plugins, to make browsing easier)

wikka/plugins
.............../skineditor
.............../useradmin

A few things to keep in mind before choosing the best layout:

a user will only be given privs to a specific node and will have automatically access to all the subnodes;

some plugins might require changes spanning more Wikka folders (e.g. an action + a css addition);

different users might want to contribute to the development of a plugin;

the SVN directory layout need not match the actual (browsable) directory, which could be maintained separately in a wiki page with descriptions, news, author credits etc.

Given the above constraints, which directory layout would be the most appropriate?

The following steps

Once an agreement on the previous point is reached, the following steps are required to set up the plugin directory

complete the API documentation of the Wikka engine and publish it; - ideally, the documentation will be self-generated from phpdoc headers

complete (and enforce) the Wikka coding guidelines;

post instructions for prospective contributors on how to apply for a SVN login;

create the plugins directory;

start hacking ;)

Comments ?

Feedback welcome

CategoryDevelopmentDiscussion
CategoryUserContributions
CategoryAdmin

Wikka : PluginDirectory