work on the Joomla remository (1 Viewer)

[NielsSF]

I have talked with infinityloop about the work on the opensource remository and applied for to help as a web developer. I have done already some big PHP jobs in the past and like to helpout with this great MediaPortal. Also i have some basic knowledge about C#.

I have send dukus a pm to get some information about how the MPInstaller and he told me that he has only in the weekends time. so I hope he can tell us more about it next weekend.

The web platform is PHP-Joomla together with opensource remository. The MPI installer uses C# and can be found in the SVN. Sofar i have seen is that the MPI downloads a xml file from the server. with all the existing plugins and skins. This list needs to be extended to get the wanted extra information.

When you have interest to help out, pleace replay here, with ideas of what part of the changes you like to do.

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Update 29/1/2009:

The last days or so i have studied the Joomla repository (=JP) and the MPIinstaller to see what needs to be done, so we can extend the repository with the wishes that where suggested in the thread from infinityloop showed here.

Below is a list of things that are suggested over there, which needs to has changes in the repository to get working.

1. dependencies - a plugin or skin might required that other plugins. JR has a field for this.
2. DONE Show the compatible MP versions and skins. (if it's a skinpage show the compatible plugins). This can be part of the dependencies
3. DONE display history - a list of older version on the home page, based on the versioning. JR need extended
4. versioning - a skin for example just has one entry in the repository, which gets updated. JR need extended
   
5. Don't create new pages every time an update is released !! Just update the current page. Create name check in JR
6. DONE Add a changelog. There are some posiblities already in JR
7. improve the "update" process for those which store extensions in our repository need to be defined
8. more smaller changes / features need to be defined
9. improove the look and feel of the online repository intselfe. need to be defined

The next list of chenges need to be done for extending the MPIinstaller filelist:

• DONE display a warning if user tries to install a extension on a not supported (newer) MP version. MPExtensionFileList.xml and JR needs be extended
• DONE display screenshot in only MPExtensionFileList.xml needs be extended
• DONE display download count only MPExtensionFileList.xml needs be extended
• DONE display rates only MPExtensionFileList.xml needs be extended
• allow to rate extensions Al ready posible in JR

• Green remarks are already posible.
• Orange remarks can be done very easy. But need some changes inside the MPIinstaller. to work.
• Red means that this need changes on the repository view or databases.
• DarkOrchid remarks need to be defined, and need more work.

My suggestion is to extend first the MPExtensionFileList.xml that shows the list of files. And change the MPIinstaller to show the new information.

The second step is creating file depedances. followed with the versioning system inside the repository.

When this works we can add the posiblity to import the MPI file information inside the repository by only uploading the file in question.

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Maby i have forgot something her so please when you have some added futures that can/need to be inserted in this list, pleace tell me.

Thanks.

 

[infinite.loop]

I made this thread sticky.

for yor help!

 

[MrEMan]

My first idea would be to model what ever is done on this https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox the way the whole system looks and works is fantastic.

I have a LOT of web dev and programming experience built up over ~14years but not a lot of time to play. Not a big fan of Joomla but the community is good.

NielsSF The way I read the job, no knowledge of how the MPI works is needed as it's more about displaying content in various ways within the client so the user can get what they want then the MPI thing happens.

Regards

 

[infinite.loop]

@NielsSF The way I read the job, no knowledge of how the MPI works is needed as it's more about displaying content in various ways within the client so the user can get what they want then the MPI thing happens.

In fact, our backend admin (high) and our MPI developer (dukus) will brief you about what they need from/in the repository.

High will be back from his vacation in ~14days, then this will start rolling.

C# knowledge is not required.

 

[NielsSF]

My first idea would be to model what ever is done on this https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox the way the whole system looks and works is fantastic.

I have a LOT of web dev and programming experience built up over ~14years but not a lot of time to play. Not a big fan of Joomla but the community is good.

Nice to read, all you can do in your spare time is welcome.

@NielsSF The way I read the job, no knowledge of how the MPI works is needed as it's more about displaying content in various ways within the client so the user can get what they want then the MPI thing happens.

You undertstand that the changes on the web repository are suggested in the thread that is started by infinityloop here?

And i hope you have seen what the MPIinstaller can do?

In that light i see the changes do have something to do with the MPIinstaller.

 

[NielsSF]

Oke, together with dukus i have made the first changes to the remository.

The first step is to create a extended xml file that has more info about the stored MPI's

<MPinstalerS>
<ver>1.10.000</ver>
 <ExtensionList>
  <Extension>
	<FileName>Aerial Chat-6.31-4.app.zip</FileName>
	<Name>Aerial Chat-6.31-4.app</Name>
	<Version>1.3.4</Version>
	<URL>http://mpi.team-mediaportal.com/Aerial Chat-6.31-4.app.zip</URL>
	<Author></Author>
	<Description></Description>
	<Group>Sample</Group>
	<Downloads>0</Downloads>
	<Vote>
	  <Value></Value>
	  <Count>0</Count>
	</Vote>
	<Screenurl></Screenurl>
	<Requirements>
    <Needed>
      <id></id>
      <name></name>
      <version></version>
    </Needed>
    <Compatible>
      <id></id>
      <name></name>
      <version></version>
    </Compatible>
  </Requirements>
	<Submitdate>2009-02-05 22:57:31</Submitdate>
  </Extension>
 </ExtensionList>
<Option />
</MPinstalerS>

Next i will change extend the remository it self by adding more fields that can be inserted into the database.

 

[MrEMan]

That's a good start.

The easy bit is done

 

[markosaurus]

WebDevs required?

Hey there,

I think I may be able to offer some services in this case.

I'm a relative mediaProtal newbie to be honest, but I am a full-time web developer and my company uses Joomla 1.5x as the base package for all clients.

To be honest I'm not entirely clear on what is required, but I'm well versed in PHP etc. so if I can be of any use, even if it's just trivial jobs like writing skins or anything, then I'm happy to offer what time I can.

 

[NielsSF]

hello markosaurus,

thankyou for your help. At the moment the site uses Joomla 1.0 as backbone together with Remository module as repository for collecting the developed MP plugins. This has some differences between the 1.5, i found out already.

The file that is loaded insite the MPI installer with the current MPI's is already extende with the information from remository. I have not added any new field for this. But some of them need to be allowed to be changed insite the remository.

Also we need to think about how we like to implement the file history as writen above. I have some ideas to do it but maby there is already something build into the module that i did not found jet.

An other thing that we need to discuse more is the way how we register the dependencies etc.

 

[markosaurus]

Well shout me if you need any extra help...

...even if you just need help figuring out how things work with remository, give me a shout, I may be able to help out here and there.

I used to use joomla 1.0.x but we started to use 1.5 as default when the majority of people stopped development of components and modules for 1.0. To be honest I preferred the structure of the core for joomla 1.0.