Forum OpenACS Q&A: Is there any tutorial for xowiki?

Posted by David Ghost on 12/05/07 11:10 AM

Of course I've already read the document
,but fail to understand it clearly.
Here I have several questions mostly about configuration.

1. I'd like to use file selector
which found on xowiki document

Please guide me how to do that with real configuration step...

2. With OacsFS, can I create & manage my own folder structure on any file-storage instance which related with an xowiki instance ?
,then please also guide me how to do that..including how to make relation between one xowiki instance & file-storage instance.

3. I'd like to make xowiki index page as the front page of my site what should I do? Also I need step by step guide..

2: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 1)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/06/07 11:01 AM

there was an end-user-oriented tutorial by jon griffin, but his screen shots are gone:
http://www.openacs.org/xowiki/XoWiki_User_Guide

there is one by solution grove
http://www.solutiongrove.com/docwiki/howtoxowiki

to answer you questions: to get to the file-selector, edit a page and click on the image button in the toolbar. In earlier version, you came straight to the OacsFs, in newer versions of openacs, you might have to add OacsFs to the list of xinha plugins in the parameters of acs-templating (from admin/site-map)

if you are in openacs (no dotlrn), the globally mounted file storage is used. if you mount xowiki from within an openacs community, the folder of the openacs community is used. If this is not sufficient, check the configuration options of http://openacs.org/api-doc/proc-view?proc=template%3A%3Awidget%3A%3Arichtext

to make xowiki a start page, add the following .vuh file
http://alice.wu-wien.ac.at:8000/xowiki-doc/#package-prefix
to the toplevel www directory

3: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 2)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/06/07 12:16 PM

Sorry Gustaf,
But still I can't follow you
How to locate acs-templating parameters?
On site-map you mentioned, I can't go further..

Regarding xowiki & file-storage instance,
My instantiated Xowiki seems not follow y0ur explanation.
For instance, I have several file-storage instances before xowiki instantiation, but the resulting xowiki use none of pre-exist:ng file-storage,
instead it use it's own file-storage instance which I can't identify on site-map page.
So I ask you to show me step by step real guide

Hope to get prompt assistance & thank in adVance

4: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 3)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/06/07 12:32 PM

Just after posting the above, I find the parameter page of templating, but this time it doesn't work.
I set the belows...
RichTextEditor : rte --> xingha
XinhaDefaultPlugins : add OacsFS
Anything wrong?
Do I have to re-start my server?

5: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 4)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/06/07 12:40 PM

my server log says like belows...

Error: rp_sources_filter: file "/web/collabeda531/www/resources/acs-templating/xinha-nightly/plugins/OacsFS/oacsfs.js" does not exists trying to serve as a normal request

Any suggestion to address this?

6: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 4)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 12/06/07 01:46 PM

"xingha" should be "xinha"

7: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 6)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/06/07 01:55 PM

It's typo just on my posting,
on parameter page I provide correct word
Anyway Thank you Hamilton

8: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 5)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 12/06/07 02:27 PM

Hmmm looks like it should be oacs-fs.js not oacsfs.js.
On what page were you at when you got that error in the logs ?

9: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 3)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 12/06/07 02:30 PM

From my experience, the file selector widget uses the first file-storage instance it sees in the sitemap.

What version of xowiki and xotcl are you using ?

The install I am looking at uses xowiki 0.6 but we've been upgrading ever since 0.3.

10: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 1)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/06/07 07:43 PM

a couple of answers:
q: How to locate acs-templating parameters?
a: goto YOURHOST/admin/site-map/, scroll down to "Services", click on "Templating"

q: what parameters do i have to configure?
a: If you edit a page within xowiki, it uses always xinha. There is no need to change "RichTextEditor" in the acs-templating parameters to xinha. If you edit a page, you see a "mountain with sun" icon in the toolbar. To use the OacsFs plugin, add "OacsFs" to the parameter field "XinhaDefaultPlugins" as first element and press "OK". The correct capitalization is important. If you edit an xowiki page, the icon is slightly more colorful and has a thicker frame. If you press the icon, you get the File Selector.

q: do i have to restart the server
a: no

q: the resulting xowiki use none of pre-existing file-storage, instead it use it's own file-storage instance
a: no, xowiki has no own file-storage instance. maybe you are referring to the fact that one can store files within xowiki, but this does not require a file-storage instance and is another story.

concerning the error you have seen: use the exact spelling "OacsFs", the mapping to file names is done by xinha.

11: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 10)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/07/07 12:07 AM

Thanks Gustaf,

With "OacsFs", now my server works.. don't blame me too much.
Let me ask another chained question
When I click on "Open Folder" button in file selector,
it opens one of my dotlrn folder.
How to control this default behavior?
How to change folder_id?

12: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 11)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/07/07 12:14 PM

As explained above, the widget spec of the richtext widget can be provided with a folder_id or a package_id of a filestore.
http://openacs.org/api-doc/proc-view?proc=template%3A%3Awidget%3A%3Arichtext

The widget-spec can be configured for every xowiki instance differently via the folder object. So, figure out, what folder_id or folder package_id you want to use and follow the instructions, how to configure xinha in a certain instance from http://alice.wu-wien.ac.at:8000/xowiki-doc/#js

13: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 12)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/07/07 03:59 PM

Thank again Gustaf,
and I hope this time to be the final introductory questions .
Finally I succeed to change folder_id by using folder object...XoWiki document assum too highly educated person.
For me it was a huge obstacle to find out where & how
For clarity here I repeat my real step-in s
1. Go to admin page on any Xowiki instance
2. Locate xowiki::object and in there, identify folder object(named with numbers..)
3. Go to edit page and provide below code segment as a sample

set rich_text_spec {richtext(richtext),nospell,optional
{label Content}
{html {style {width: 100%}}}
{options {editor xinha folder_id 1618 height 350px javascript {
}}}}

set widget_specs [list *,text $rich_text_spec]
4. Publish this revision
5. Verify the changed effect with normal xowiki page (i.e. index page)- you might let your server allow IMG tag to complete test

Gustaf, here I encountered trivial but annoying trouble
On later editing for the xowiki::object, I can't see the previous page content to be modified...any advise for this?

And here is (hopefully) last query on this thread
Xowiki document describe Programmable XoWiki Pages: ::xowiki::Object
Let me ask you one more time - how can I do it?
It reveals that still I fail to catch the basic concept of xowiki, doesn't it?

14: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 13)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/11/07 02:36 PM

What do you mean exactly by "Publish this revision" (4)? if this refers to clicking on the red "published" flag on admin/list, this is not necessary. The publish_status is an atribute of a content item, not a content revision. If you click on the flag to "make it green", you make it available to the public e.g. via syndication (rss), what you probably don't want. You said

On later editing for the xowiki::object, I can't see the previous page content to be modified...any advise for this?

Do you say, that when you are editing the folder object of the same xowiki instance again, you see always the default content? if yes, what versions are you using?

Concerning your question about ::xowiki::Object: This class is a means for a programmer to have full control over a page from a script and to keep the script in the content repository (with versioning, etc). This is not the basic concept of xowiki, but a feature handy for certain applications.

What is it, that you want to do? what happens, if you go to xowiki/admin, you press the add button on the line with :xowiki::Object, provide a name (e.g. myobj) and a title, paste the example from the manual and then OK. If you view the page, you should see the result of proc content displayed. You will find in xowiki/www/prototypes a few examples (like CGI.page), some background about prototype pages is in http://alice.wu-wien.ac.at:8000/xowiki-doc/#prototype-pages

15: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 14)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/11/07 04:09 PM

I install xowiki (ver. 0.60.2) with official release of OACS 5.3.2 (upgraded from 5.3.1)
Specifically speaking, when I tried to edit folder object,
the content displays nothing though it keep working with previous scripts I entered.
The only way to check the existing content of folder object is to view it via clicking on it's name...

For the other xowiki object like CGI(instantiated from prototype) and myobj(created by me), the behavior is different. The whole content I entered wrapped with "{", "}" and "text/html"
...Ah, hard to explain, so here is my example,

{proc content {} {

return {Hello [[Wiki]]-World}

} } text/html

As a result, the "content" proc doesn't work at all as expected...(or as your document told)

The CGI & other pre-defined prototyped objects seem to work well only at first instantiation. that is once I modify the content of the instantiated object it turns out the text itself I provided.

16: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 15)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/11/07 11:30 PM

ok, i see what's happening. The bug you are reporting was fixed on Aug 9. The problem was that the rich-text widget spec specified in the folder object was applied to all form fields named "text", even in cases, where the form field must be a plain textarea (which has a different representation (just text) than the rich-text (text + input-mime-type)).

The problem is fixed now in cvs in the oacs-5-3 branch. You should be upgrade to the new version via "install from repository" after the nightly built of the .apm-files.

17: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 16)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/12/07 01:57 AM

I'm not sure how to upgrade
I'm quite novice to the method of upgrade you suggested.
Would you tell me more friendly way?

18: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 16)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/12/07 02:04 AM

Gustaf,
Do you mean if I wait one or two days, then new xowiki will be available via "upgrade from repository"?

19: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 17)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/12/07 08:34 AM

there is as well the possibility to get the code via cvs (see http://openacs.org/xowiki/Get_the_Code). how did you install xowiki on your machine?

yes, "install|upgrade from Repository" is what i suggested. The server on openacs.org builds nightly packages, called .apm files.

20: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 19)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/12/07 11:49 AM

Thanks Gustaf,

Finally it seems to work as described.
I'm afraid that this very impressive package requires too much trial&errors and eventually my brain & coffee.
Whole my attention now caught by xowiki.
Also I'm afraid I am too late to find out xowiki deserves of developer's time.
I hope to be allowed to allocate most of my time for xowiki....Good luck Gustaf and Warm Regards thanks again

21: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 20)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/12/07 02:24 PM

many things are possible with xowiki based on configuration, some of the configurations are for the end-user, some of these are rather for programmers. Your requirements (use a certain folder/filestore) were quite special, some the programmer oriented configuration was necessary (editing folder object, which is the last resort). And unfortunately, there was a bug fixed only in the head version. So i hope this is not the normal user experience.

Hopefully, future versions of xowiki will be more easy to configure.

-gustaf

22: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 21)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/16/07 01:08 PM

Gustaf, issue is back again...
Some dotlrn related form which contains text(or richtext whatever..) doesn't show up at all when I set ACS Templating parameter to rte.
- for specific example, I encountered this trouble during trying to compose Welcome message for new-comer to certain dotlrn community.
To work out this trouble, I set that parameter to xinha.
But with "xinha", this time the trouble is that I can't translate some of "en messages" into "ko messages"
I bet you can understand what I mean if you try with the above real "Welcome message" case.

I'm not sure this is the right place to ask for answer.
cause it seems to be related with dotlrn-ware.

23: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 22)

Posted by Gustaf Neumann on 12/17/07 08:56 AM

Let me recap: you say

- this question has nothing to do with xowiki.
- editing the dotlrn form does not show at all with rte
- editing the form with xinha has trouble with Korean messages.

I assume, you are editing always with the client language settings of Korean. Correct?

Maybe the following can help you: xinha has its own javascript based message catalogs (currently for 33 languages, see packages/acs-templating/www/resources/xinha-nightly/lang/, there are additional catalogs for the plugins). I would recommend to add a Korean catalog named ko.js.

24: Re: Is there any tutorial for xowiki? (response to 23)

Posted by David Ghost on 12/21/07 02:58 AM

Sorry for my late reply.
Most of my explaination fails to be clear...
-Not all dotlrn text form elements have trouble.
-With community Welcome message case, I'd like to emphasize on editing trouble on xinha for internationalization not only for Korean. Sorry I can't explain further detail about this you'd better neglect this.
By the way
Is it possible to install xowiki on oacs 5.2.4?
If so, let me know the detail procedure including related module which should be upgraded.
I posted it on separated thread but got no reply.