[Pmwiki-users] Re: Categories instead of hierarchies?

[mistyfire]

Hello,
As the complexity and size of wiki grows a "multi-category page" seems a lot 
more logical than hierarchies. 

I have recently joined the mailing list and was wondering if saving the native 
wiki pages in XML format would be a good idea. Please let me know if this has 
been discussed and suggest me the "date of mailing-list archive" to download.
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Some reasons in favor of implementing the storage format of native wiki pages 
in "wiki.d" and "wikilib.d" to XML format could be:
1. By allowing pages in XML format keeps the file flat and same time 
introduces all the power of XML.
2. XML entry in wiki-pages for categories it belongs to would be simplified in 
format: 
 <belongTo>
   <category></category>
   <category></category>...so on
 </belongTo>.
3. Processing Category-Page would become easier. eg. 
<category type=history>
  <wikipage></wikipage>
  <wikipage></wikipage>...so on
</category>
<category type=ancient>
  <wikipage></wikipage>
  <wikipage></wikipage>...so on
</category>.....and so on. 
Gradually various useful attributes can be introduced.
4. In future quering wiki-pages via complex Advanced-Search-Page can be 
implemented (XML Parsing), where use of Form (text boxes, list, choice) can be 
used, and the power of XSLT applied to display result in specific 
manner.....of couse that would mean creating various small templates. (much 
like sql quering).
5. With use of XML very complicated Analytical Reseach Papers can stored and 
queried without use of databases.
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Some suggestions to adopt for implementing XML.
1. Firstly the pages stored in wiki.d should be stored in folders matching 
with its first character of the wiki-page-name. (options left for further 
subdividing in diretories "aa" "ab"......
2. Wiki-page-names now can be any word with "." allowed in the name and 
the meaning of "." should not imply category..... e.g.  someword.somepage now 
would mean a wiki page with that name and not a wiki-page "somepage" 
belonging to category "someword".
3. A seperate XML categories-page be maintained.
4. To Create a New Category: 
Just create new wiki-page with a single line entry like:  
(::category: history::) . On viewing this pages in browser eg.
http://yourwebsite/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/history
should show  entries of all "Wiki-pages" falling in this category. The way it 
is displayed can be stored in $CategoryDisplayFmt or/and .tmpl & .css file.
5. Creation of any new category should automatically be entered in 
"Category-Page". (deletion I am not sure... logical would be not to delete any 
created entry)
6. With this system it would imply that all wiki-pages should have a unique 
name. And to view any wiki page  eg. history.ancient.civilization OR 
HistoryAncientCivilization the URL would be:
http://yourwebsite/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/HistoryAncientCivilization
or
http://yourwebsite/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/history.ancient.civilization
note: HistoryAncientCivilization & history.ancient.civilization and two unique 
pages.
7. All wiki-pages now would display in block (<div class=belongsTo>) at the 
bottom links to its category.... the display format could be stored in 
vaiable $LinkPageBelongsToFmt or specified in ".tmpl and css" file as class 
has been specified.
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Some suggestion How to Introduce it in Present Development:
1. A seperate php script file should be made which handles the processing to 
wikipages stored in XML format.
2. Some modifications done to present Functions so that when ever it is 
required to prcess a wiki-page it looks for the first sting <?xml and IF 
present simply switches to the XML handler and and comes back after 
processing it. IF absent continues.......
3. Existing pages should now be left as it is and Even changes made to it 
should be saved in the same format. This way the current setup needs not much 
modifications. 
5. Creation of any new wiki-page will by Default Save in XML format.
6. To convert previous pages in XML in quick and short would be copying the 
content from pre-existing page and pasting in new wiki-page(different name). 
7. For large number pages..... simple conversion routines can be written.
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Please let me know if some logical step has be left out or requires further 
explanation.
V.Krishn