Implementing the Chandler Document Model

1. Documenation
   • Edit mitch's document into a developer document
2. Design
   • What is the relationship between parcels and documents
   • What are contexts
     • How are they stored, how are they viewed
   • How do documents get loaded into the repository
   • What is the schema for documents and blocks in the repository
   • How are documents shared as templates (without the data items)
   • What is the class hierarchy for blocks
     • Master Block
     • container block
     • document block
     • table block
     • boxes & glue (or struts and spacers) block
     • wxwindows wrapped blocks (or a generic block the wraps wxwindows widgets)
     • content-spec blocks
     • phrase block
   • Style sheets, is there information outside (or next to) the block which helps the block display
   • References to data in other blocks
   • Are documents internationalizeable or are they language specific?
   • How to track dependencies on parcels
     • Default behavior when needed parcels are missing
3. Prototyping
   • Pick a parcel to be the "first customer"
     • Document Constructor
       • Small set of initial blocks
         • Label / Value
         • Scrolling List
         • Big Text Field
         • Sizers
         • Text Button
       • Palette for selecting block
       • Document with run/build behavior
       • Connection between blocks and data
     • Simple E-Mail
       • Simple e-mail schema
       • Import from POP to repository
       • Design a document (or set of documents) for display of this e-mail
       • Produce a list of requirements for blocks implementor
         • Which blocks should be implemented first
   • Need a way to develop documents
     • In the long term, this should be a GUI tool
     • In the short term, this can be an XML file which is edited by hand assuming that the file is parseable by humans, and the edit/view cycle is short for rapid prototyping. One suggestion is to invent an XML format which is easy editable, and then write a translator which translates it into correctly a schema-tized "pack" for loading into the repository.
4. Implementation
   • Base don prototype experience re-work Class hierarchy for blocks
   • Start work on GUI editing tool
   • Port existing parcels to Blocks

-- MichaelToy - 24 Jul 2003