[dev] Docs Module (was: Horde Summary Layout options, in HEAD maybe?)

[Ryan Gallagher]

Quoting Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck@horde.org>:

> > Other "considered" additions:
> > 1) A documentation/faq module
> 
> This is on my list, too, to integrate with Whups. The Category:: code is
> _perfect_ for storing FAQ-type data, imho. I just haven't had the time to
> devote to it yet...
> 

I haven't looked at the category code yet, but i can see it's usefulness in that
area.  In my personal brainstorming I was considering playing with an XML based
document manager type thingy.  Hasn't really solidified in my mind entirely but
I was intrigued by the use of XMLSchema to define possible document types, then
have a forms engine and a viewer engine. 

The forms engine would use the schema directly to determine which form elements
are utilized, and how nesting is handled.  

The viewer engine would rely on a the XSL->html style definitions.  Other output
formats could later be added given the right processing tools and presence of an
appropriate stylesheet.

The web-editable requirement is "gray area".  Not sure how to approach this best
considering the hugely varying degrees of XML complexity.  I suppose that an
upload/download tool plus the viewer engine would be useful enough by themselves
to start with.

On that note, is the skeleton updated to indicate current config techniques and
other standards for a module?  If so, might start playing with a proof of
concept this weekend.

I mentioned the mild interest in a structure document diff tool for Chora a
while back in chora@.  I suppose this would be the ideal backend.  Then despite
the web-centric nature of the docs, they could be fully versioned and easily
associated with a "make" process to facilitate building of offline formats for
all or parts of the document catalog.

Sorry for the length, you know how ideas tend to branch wildly before you get
realistic and start pruning. ;-)  It also doesn't help that I used to work for a
digital book retailer DOT-com before it busted.

-- 
Ryan T. Gallagher
ryan@studiesabroad.com