[LON-CAPA-dev] Help text
Helen Keefe
lon-capa-dev@mail.lon-capa.org
Fri, 10 May 2002 15:19:45 -0400
Hey Scott,
If you are working for Gates, you better ask for a big raise!
Helen
Scott Harrison wrote:
>
> What has happened? Now I am working for Bill Gates?!
>
> Helen Keefe wrote:
> >
> > Hey!
> >
> > Scott kinda looks like Clippy (without the glasses) and it sounds like
> > Scott gets paid as well as Clippy!
> >
> > However, Scott has more personality than Clippy can ever dream of:=>
> >
> > Helen
> >
> >
> > Gerd Kortemeyer wrote:
> > >
> > > Good idea! A built-in Scott would certainly enhance the system. I would suggest
> > > that on the screen, you could manifest yourself as a paperclip - "It looks like
> > > you are writing a randomlabel problem."
> > >
> > > http://www.microsoft.com/Office/clippy/default.asp
> > >
> > > Correction: put header routine in loncommon ... better?
> > >
> > > Anyways, besides the special help on special stuff (you all convinced me!), does
> > > the link to FAQ make any sense?
> > >
> > > - Gerd.
> > >
> > > Scott Harrison wrote:
> > >
> > > > I was actually going to place myself inside lonnet since
> > > > everything else is there. :)
> > > >
> > > > Gerd Kortemeyer wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hmm ...
> > > > >
> > > > > I actually had the following idea a little while ago:
> > > > >
> > > > > We will put new headers on the admin pages anyway, so there will be a
> > > > > header-producing routine in lonnet. It will look something like this:
> > > > >
> > > > > $r->print(&Apache::lonnet::pageheader('Spreadsheet','grading'));
> > > > >
> > > > > and puts up the correct role header. For "advanced" users, it also produces a
> > > > > "Help" and a "Bug" link.
> > > > >
> > > > > These do not go to a third all-new structure, but just go a the FAQ and
> > > > > Bugzilla. There is a table in the system like this
> > > > >
> > > > > grading 134 Instructor+Interface
> > > > >
> > > > > which means that these links will go to
> > > > >
> > > > > http://help.loncapa.org/fom/cache/134.html
> > > > > http://bugs.lon-capa.org/buglist.cgi?component=Instructor+Interface
> > > > >
> > > > > - Gerd.
> > > > >
> > > > > Scott Harrison wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Dear Matthew:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Well, I doubt there will be so many help pages at first that we cannot
> > > > > > > easily add in any tags needed for indexing. I think it is more valuable
> > > > > > > at this time to actually have help pages. What metadata do these pages
> > > > > > > need to have in order to be indexed automagically?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The only "metadata" would be title and hierarchy.
> > > > > > The target directory location would be the hierarchy... (maybe we don't
> > > > > > want a hierarchy, but anyways...) for instance:
> > > > > > + Instructor Tools
> > > > > > + Spreadsheet
> > > > > > + Plotting equations
> > > > > > + RAT
> > > > > > + Class lists
> > > > > > + General information
> > > > > > + Remote control
> > > > > > + Roles
> > > > > > + Answering Problems
> > > > > >
> > > > > > (And of course, this should be in sync ... and draw from ...
> > > > > > help.lon-capa.org).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > And then, students may not want to be bothered with instructor
> > > > > > tools...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >(Ideally, the interface help pages would streamline nicely
> > > > > > > >down the vertical partition toward the actual documented
> > > > > > > >code base. But...priorities...priorities..)
> > > > > > > I have no idea what that means :)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Pressman, Rumbaugh, etc; a lot of standard books on
> > > > > > software engineering talk about horizontal layers
> > > > > > and vertical partions.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Horizontal layers "make sense of the system".
> > > > > > That is to say, they are the levels of computer services
> > > > > > that exist.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > For example,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ---------- LON-CAPA web interface ------------------------
> > > > > > ------------- Apache::* libraries ------------------------
> > > > > > ---------------- mod_perl --------------------------------
> > > > > > ----------------- apache ---------------------------------
> > > > > > -- shared libraries (including CPAN libraries) -----------
> > > > > > ----------------- kernel ---------------------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Contrastingly, vertical partitions are how the software
> > > > > > design proceeds across the horizontal layers to provide
> > > > > > user services.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So, restated, ideally, there would be a clear path from each
> > > > > > LON-CAPA interface to the source code documentation
> > > > > > that was involved in presenting and processing information
> > > > > > from that interface.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Testing might ask, horizontally:
> > > > > > * are all the kernel and shared libraries present that
> > > > > > need to be present
> > > > > > * is the web server running in the right configuration?
> > > > > > * mod_perl, is it working?
> > > > > > * are all the CPAN libraries present?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Vertical partitions might ask, testing-wise,
> > > > > > is the metadata database interface working
> > > > > > and what is all the source code involved with it?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The testing strategy that I have been trying to find
> > > > > > time to implement is:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Horizontal layer testing in:
> > > > > > loncom/build/system_dependencies
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Vertical partition testing in:
> > > > > > loncom/build/weblayer_test
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Anecdotally...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > we are all part of the matrix. :)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The blue pill or the red pill?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > Scott
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > LON-CAPA-dev mailing list
> > > > > > LON-CAPA-dev@mail.lon-capa.org
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> > > > >
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> > >
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> >
> > --
> > Helen Keefe
> > LON-CAPA/ ITR Project Manager
> > Laboratory for Instructional Technology in Education
> > 111 North Kedzie Labs
> > East Lansing, MI 48824
> >
> > E-mail: helen@lon-capa.org
> > Web: http://www.lite.msu.edu/
> > Phone: 517-432-9867
> > Fax: 517-432-5653
> > _______________________________________________
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> > LON-CAPA-dev@mail.lon-capa.org
> > http://mail.lon-capa.org/mailman/listinfo/lon-capa-dev
>
> --
> Scott Harrison -- Graduate Student
> Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
> Mich. State. Univ., East Lansing, MI
> harris41@msu.edu, 517-353-0998
> _______________________________________________
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> LON-CAPA-dev@mail.lon-capa.org
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--
Helen Keefe
LON-CAPA/ ITR Project Manager
Laboratory for Instructional Technology in Education
111 North Kedzie Labs
East Lansing, MI 48824
E-mail: helen@lon-capa.org
Web: http://www.lite.msu.edu/
Phone: 517-432-9867
Fax: 517-432-5653