[pmwiki-users] Fwd: RFC PmWiki Tips and Tricks

Sandy sandy at onebit.ca
Tue Sep 26 13:44:08 CDT 2006


Patrick R. Michaud wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 26, 2006 at 10:21:23AM -0500, Ben Wilson wrote:
>> A rational for this bifurcation could be that scripted modules are
>> placed in the /cookbook directory. So, keeping those in the Cookbook
>> group is somewhat intuitive. Putting the configuration tips and tricks
>> in a separate group indicates there is no need to download any script.
> 
> I'm still somewhat confused by this -- is "requires a script"
> versus "doesn't require a script" a major consideration for people
> who are trying to figure out how to get PmWiki to do something?
> How many people come to the Cookbook and say "I want to do XYZ with
> PmWiki, but I want the answer with (or without) an extra script?"
> 

For me, it's purely impressions and comfort. A line or two change in the 
config seems easier than downloading, unzipping and uploading a script 
in addition to the config.php line. I know, it's less than 10 minutes, 
but it feels significant. Maybe it's that there'll be another file 
cluttering up my hard drive or just waiting to conflict with something 
else, maybe it's that a change in the config file means it's a feature 
of the core and is therefore ultra-reliable-and-well-supported-forever.

Emphasize that last impression: ultra-reliable-and-well-supported-forever
Not to say that there aren't a ton of recipes in that category, but 
sometimes it's hard to tell a solid recipe not needing upgrades from one 
that's abandoned and broken.

On the other hand, when I have a need I want filled, I like to see them 
all in the same part of the list, not spread over several groups. Then 
I'll decide if the effort of installing a script is worth it.

Lastly, I prefer recipes that don't require changes to the server. Sure, 
the instruction may work, but do I have confidence that it won't have 
unintended side-effects? (Simplistic example: Solve a problem by setting 
CHMOD to allow full access to everyone. Recipe is simple and effective, 
but I'd feel uncomfortable doing it until I'd done some research on CHMOD.)


Sandy





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