Do we need a plugin repository?

juanjonavarro · 2006-02-07 16:25:55

There are some plugins that are not accessible anymore. Maybe the author is not maintaining the plugin and deleted the plugin code from his website.

We have Textpattern Resources and this forum, but these are still linking to the author’s website. Do you think we need a plugin repository maintaining local copies of the plugins?

Best regards.

Andrew · 2006-02-07 17:11:33

svn.textpattern.org ?

Champak · 2006-02-07 17:14:37

I think this is definitely needed. I’ve only had this thing for about a week, and I’m tired of coming across dead links to plugs, posts that do not have the updated plugs, people taking over plugs and there is no links to those. I think the whole thing is discombobulated as is.

2/ I ESPECIALLY think people should learn to write descriptions a lot better than they are currently doing. It damn well takes me reading the descriptions 4-6 times to truly understand what the hell the things do, and even then, I sometimes have to install the thing to completely understand. I have other programs installed that use plugs/mods with WAY better and clearer descriptions. And they are not necessarily longer either. Hell, I’ll write your descriptions.

3/ I also think it would be nice if there was some kind of update notice with the plugins that would ping the admin panel where the plugs are listed to notify of updates to the plugin. This would definitely be able to happen if the plugs were maintained here.

4/ The help manuals to the plugs need to be a little better. Some of the developers here seem to write the manuals for the people who already know how to use this thing.

And all of this could be handled by one person. Either a developer of textpattern or a volunteer, it doesn’t take an army. I would volunteer, but I don’t know enough about this yet.

I know I’m new, but my 2cents.

hakjoon · 2006-02-07 17:51:23

Have you thought of contacting the plugin author and offering better descriptions? Have you followed the threads with descriptions better describing the functionality? Have you offered better plugin manuals?

All the things you describe take time and sometimes the developer doesn’t have time. Remember that most of the plugins are created because the developer needed the functionality. He/she knows how the plugin works, therefore instructions are not seen as necessary. Someone who uses the plugin and finds it useful is always welcome to provide better docs for it.

That being said I would love to see a central plugin repository with SVN accounts for developers kind of like what Drupal and CMSmadesimple offer. A textpatternforge if you will, but someone with resources for something like that would need to step up.

Manfre · 2006-02-07 18:00:37

With regards to descriptions, you should write up a description and send it to the author, or post it to the thread if you are so dedicated. As a plugin author, I spend my limited free time working on plugins. Would you rather have fewer, well documented plugins with less functionality, or have things the way they are?

Andrew · 2006-02-07 18:04:03

hakjoon wrote:
That being said I would love to see a central plugin repository with SVN accounts for developers kind of like what Drupal and CMSmadesimple offer. A textpatternforge if you will, but someone with resources for something like that would need to step up.

Agreed.

akokskis · 2006-02-07 18:48:54

I’m going to have to agree that as a dev, I’m a hell of a lot more likely to be working on the code rather than adding better or more clear help text. Plus, if someone posts to the topics in this forum for my plugins, or on my personal site, I make every effort to get back as soon as possible, and if I don’t, it’s quite likely that someone else who uses one of my plugins will help said person out.

I’d much rather spend my time coding. That’s why I’m a comp sci major, not an english major. If people wish to help the progress of my plugins, I’m more than happy to accept their help and take the new help text or whatever and integrate that into my plugin.

If you need some help, just ask on the forums. People in this community are very nice and helpful, so probably you’ll get a good response rather quickly.

Andrew · 2006-02-07 19:39:45

I think creating a plugin repository is completely unrelated to improving plugin documentation. Yes, many plugins could have better docs, but the forum remains a damn good place to discuss and ask questions about plugins.

Creating a subversion repository for devs would likely be a good thing. But the way Textpattern plugins are installed would not allow Textpattern users to benefit too much, except for perhaps a revision update feed. Since Txp plugins are installed into the db rather than just droped into a /plugins directory, end users wouldn’t be able to just svn co http://svn.textpattern.org/your-plugin/ to keep their plugins synced with the current revisions.

Ideas?

The Human Museum · 2006-02-07 19:50:50

Just a fly on the wall here, but the sooner the developers and end users can find some middle ground between code and usability/documentation/information consolidation, the sooner Textpattern will be embraced by a larger market. The Textpattern learning curve is pretty steep – you can’t blame the end users trying to consolidate the information out there and cut down on the hurdles. I myself tried and abandoned Textpattern a few times because I felt over my head. As great a resource as Textpattern Resources is, I think juanjonavarro is right – there needs to be some sort of permanence.

hakjoon · 2006-02-07 21:05:26

Andrew wrote:
But the way Textpattern plugins are installed would not allow Textpattern users to benefit too much, except for perhaps a revision update feed. Since Txp plugins are installed into the db rather than just droped into a /plugins directory, end users wouldn’t be able to just svn co http://svn.textpattern.org/your-plugin/ to keep their plugins synced with the current revisions.

It definitely would not work just for checking it out through svn but if a working copy was updated automatically you could setup a system with zem_tpl.php in the include path so that whenever someone went to download the plugin it would get compiled and the compiled version would get presented to the user. A svn repo could allow for more collaboration between plugin developers and the code for a plugin would never disappear. zem_tpl.php will work like that already without any modifications I think.

Andrew · 2006-02-07 21:07:26

Yes; a ‘Check for plugin updates’ feature built into Txp admin would absolutely kick ass.

placenamehere · 2006-02-07 21:41:30

I’d be interested in the direction this takes on… but I see some big issues that would need to get sorted

cooperation from plugin devs
licensing issues /conflicts
the manpower to police the thing – get new authors to include their stuff – admin transitions of ownership, etc
versioning issues and conflicts — and other dangers of automagical updates

As an author of just one plugin so far myself I’d also be cautious about the lack of flexibility the “normal” interface would offer… since i’m currently offering usage examples, extra css downloads, and some other info on the designated page on my own site. (not to mention ads, which in my case is negligible impact and not something i’m concerned about, but others might be more protective of that kind of stuff)

As to the documentation side of things I think one of the things tht a non-“developer” could really help with would be writing a good help template for plugins — create examples of good descriptions, help text for a plugin, for an entry in the textpattern resources site, etc. — and then get them used by having them included in things like zem’s plugin template so that the act of including good help info becomes a brain dead task for developers.

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#1 2006-02-07 16:25:55

Do we need a plugin repository?

#2 2006-02-07 17:11:33

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#3 2006-02-07 17:14:37

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#4 2006-02-07 17:51:23

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#5 2006-02-07 18:00:37

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#6 2006-02-07 18:04:03

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#7 2006-02-07 18:48:54

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#8 2006-02-07 19:39:45

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#9 2006-02-07 19:50:50

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#10 2006-02-07 21:05:26

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#11 2006-02-07 21:07:26

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

#12 2006-02-07 21:41:30

Re: Do we need a plugin repository?

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