And when is a bundle a Bundle? When does a recipe stops being a
recipe and becomes a Bundle? What degree of complexity or combination
of other recipes is required to warrant it be named a Bundle?
Perhaps these definitions need to be better defined to clarify things.
As I see it
- A recipe is a collection of tools and structures that may or may
not be used to create something in a wiki.
- Recipes generally do not self activate but require some
additional programming instructions to be put to use.
- Example -- PMCalendar. It can be provided in the cookbook, but
the code just sits there unless implemented by a proper set of
programming instructions.
- A bundle is a general purpose construct using various tools and
structures (recipes) to achieve a particular purpose or application.
- When a bundle is installed, one should generally end up with a
default (but customizable) construct of some sort.
- Examples (real and possible) --
- WikiPublisher -- It's a bundle of wiki recipes that when
installed construct the wiki site in a format so pages can be printed
as pdf files.
- WP includes several customized (individually available)
recipes that must interact with each other to properly work. It is
problematic to the WP Bundle to have these recipes installed
independently.
- MyCalendar -- (Possible). This might be a bundle of the
PMCalendar recipe and some default Calendar pages that when unzipped
and uploaded would end up with a fully operation Main/Calendar page at
a PMWiki Site. There would be no additional programming required to
get it working.
- MyForum -- (Possible). A bundle that when unzipped and
uploaded would create a fully operational Main/Forum page at a PMWiki
Site. No additional programming would be required to get it working.
- MyOnlineStore -- (Possible) A bundle that might unzip and
upload to a wiki site to create a Main/OnlineStore with a couple sample
items, Cart, and CheckOut to start with. No additional programming
required to get it up and going.
- Wiki Site Bundles (Possible) -- distinguished from the
Bundles above by being self contained web sites.
- WikiForumSite -- When unzipped, and properly uploaded, this
bundle might create a wiki website with a forum as it's centerpiece,
perhaps with a couple general purpose pages already intact (ForumPage,
ForumRules, ForumPurpose, SignUpPage, ContactUs, DisclaimerPage, LogIn,
etc).
- WikiStoreSite -- When unzipped and uploaded, it creates a
simple online store with several default pages ready for use.
- WikiClubSite -- When unzipped, and uploaded, it would
create a simple website for a Club to use that would have pages already
created for the typical Club website.
- Such a bundle might include several standard Club site
pages like Calendar, Contacts, Who are we, LogIn, etc that would be
ready for customization.
-------
IMHO, while PMWiki offers a powerful set of highly customizable tools
for website creation and maintenance, one of PMWiki's general
weaknesses is there is a modestly steep (but frequently unnecessary)
learning curve to getting many common wiki sites and functions up and
going. WikiBundles, as defined above, if made available might simplify
the startup and implementation task for many users with common site
needs.
In other words, in PMWiki, there's lots of reinventing the wheel going
on when offering some replication of generic working examples would
seem more effective use of many people's time.
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