[Pmwiki-users] setup script, sample-local.php, local/, and a slippery slope

Patrick R. Michaud pmichaud
Thu Feb 12 11:43:24 CST 2004


Christian Ridderstr?m wrote:
> I'm a bit uncomfortable with putting it in local/ though... AFAIK, 
> updating pmwiki is supposed to *not* write into that directory?

to which Scott Duff responded:
> Currently two files get written into that directory if you follow the
> instructions given at http://www.pmichaud.com/wiki/PmWiki/PmWikiUpgrades
> These files are README.local and .htaccess  I don't see what harm it
> would do to add sample-local.php to that list.

and I initially agreed with Scott on this point.  But now I fear
we may be at the edge of a slippery slope, because while brainstorming
ideas for the installation/setup script it occurs to me that it'd be
really nice if the setup script could generate an initial "setup-local.php"
script that has correct settings for $ScriptUrl, $PubDirUrl,
$EnablePathInfo, initializing $pagename, etc.  An admin could then
just copy setup-local.php to local.php and have everything appropriately
set.

But that means we would now have four files being placed in local/:
   .htaccess
   README.local
   sample-local.php
   setup-local.php

I think it's important that the setup script not modify local.php
directly, to avoid the potential for customizations being overwritten/lost.  
Another option: instead of creating a separate setup-local.php file, the 
setup script could simply generate sample-local.php with the 
appropriate configuration settings *and* suggestions for other
customizations in it.

Questions:
  - Does this sound like a good idea?
  - Should the automatically generate setup information go into a separate
    setup-local.php file or into sample-local.php?
  - Would having a fourth file being automatically placed in local/
    lead us farther down an undesirable path?

Pm



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