[pmwiki-users] How to convert old FASTDATA data-pages to new ZAP

[Georges Schutz]

Thanks for your replay

The Editor wrote:
> On 9/6/07, Georges Schutz <georges.schutz at tudor.lu> wrote:
>> Hi list
>>
>> I have some hundreds of data pages created with the old FASTDATA recipe.
>> I know FASTDATA is not maintained any more and was removed from pmwiki
>> cookbook (see Cookbook/RecentChanges April 17, 2007). The follow-up
>> recipe of this is ZAP if I got it right.
>> ZAP seems to have a lot of additional features and will be maintained in
>> the future. I did new Form based data storage using ZAP and I think it
>> does all i need.
>>
>> But in order to be able to use the old data-pages I will have to convert
>> them to the new page variable based storage format.
>>
>> FASTDATA format:
>> ---Begin-
>> (:comment data:)
>>
>> ContactName="xxx yyy"
>>
>> (:comment data:)
>>
>> [[#Log]]
>>
>> (:comment data:)
>>
>> ---End-
>>
>> ZAP format of the same data:
>> ---Begin-
>> (:ContactName: xxx yyy:)
>> ---End-
>>
>> Is there anyone how can give me an idea how to do this in an intelligent
>> and somehow economic way?
>>
>> Thanks a lot
>>
>> Georges Schutz
> 
> 
> If you get Pm to show you, there is a way to automatically teach
> PmWiki to read these old data values by assigning a new format
> defnition for Page Text Variables. I forgot the syntax. But then it
> will work as normal. One line in a config file. However, it will cause
> two problems:
> 
> One: the old data may show up on the page unless you come up with a
> custom markup that hides the old data.
> 
> Two: and more difficult. You will have data pages in various stages of
> transition and a lot of left over pages as data is updated and
> switched over to the new Pmwiki PTV format. So if your data is static,
> it will work, but if not, you'll be ending up with a lot of clutter on
> the pages you don't need (but won't see).
> 
> So a script that would convert the pages would be best, and not hard
> to write for ZAP. But depends on how into coding you are.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Cheers,
> Dan

I principally thought about not keeping the data pages in the old format 
but migrating/converting them to the new PTV format. So as you suggest I 
will have to write a script for this.
As I am not familiar with PHP but have some other coding experience this 
should be possible for me. I only wanted to know if there is no body on 
this list that had the same problem and realized a solution yet.

How do you suggest to proceed?
- add a convert function to ZAP reading the old data format and store 
write it back as PTV.
- use a shell script working directly on the files of the data-pages

Georges Schutz