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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I have some ideas about this too, but not the time to work them
through at the moment. I’d be interested in following the discussion out
there in the community though, so please continue to discuss this amongst
yourselves – I’m intersted in:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Minimising the size of the .rlt files:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> the main page templates .rlt is getting quite large, and often
the user is only using a few page types; this could be done by breaking the
code out of the .rlt file, holding each page type as a model (.rlm) and then
linking through to load the .rlm files at runtime. The Xerte page type shows
how this is done. I have not tested this, but it would be the first avenue to
try. I have used this technique to reuse code across projects and it works
well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>That would give us a project with a .rlt file. In it would be
the pageStore of page types, but they would simply be empty pages, with the
model property pointing to the .rlm file that contains that page type’s
code.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>There would be a folder of .rlm files. It would be easy to add
new models to this folder, and point to them from the .rlt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The piece would run. Logic would construct the pages on the main
interface framework, and then those pages would load their models. Only the
models being used would load, minimising the load.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>You could maintain your own modified folder of models. Even
switch easily between ours and yours.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Modularising the main template:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Make it easy for folk to add their own page types to support
whatever jigery-pokery you want<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Do the models thing above.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Then you just need to create models for your page types, and modify
the .xwd file, adding in your own wizard instructions<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Still, that’s a bit of a pain, but much easier than at
present. It could be automated. It could lead to a currency in pluggable models
out there in the community, allowing you to more easily customise things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Developing custom interfaces<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>This keeps coming up as people want to use their own branding /
interface / language<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>It can be done right now using custom interfaces, but it’s
a bit tricky. Trickier than it needs to be I think<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The possiblility exists for a base interface that handles
accessibility and localisation, with whatever graphics / tools you want to put
in there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Several people have already done this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Opening this up to other runtimes. This is where toolkits really
comes in to it’s own, and I’m excited about the possibilities here:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Toolkits seperates the xml creation and the runtime that ‘plays’
it;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Currently the runtime is Xerte’s engine, an AS2.0 swf.
This is very stable and doesn’t change much.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>XML Sharing allows other applications to use the data…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>…so anyone could develop a Flex / AS3.0 / HTML Javascript
/ CSS / whatever you like solution that used the xml data built by a toolkits
wizard.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>This gives us runtime independence and future proofing - this is
extremely cool.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The community could start by developing alternative runtimes
that consume the current Page Templates xml, and could address other issues
which are of a higher priority for the community than for us – like localisation,
more easily customised interfaces and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>J<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><b><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
xerte-bounces@lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces@lists.nottingham.ac.uk] <b>On Behalf Of </b>RonM<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 12, 2009 8:47 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'Xerte discussion list'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: [Xerte] Creating custom templates on the basis of
Nottingham.rlt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Some good points Peter and
I’ve briefly discussed bits of this with Julian too but less about local
customisation and more about us all being able to add to the Nottingham
developed templates (and share with the community) in a way that is efficient
and not overridden by future releases. For example...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Over the last couple of weeks
we’ve been looking at and testing the differences between different swf
and video file formats and how to get them to work with either the existing
page types or where necessary a custom page type. As a result Julian has added
some code to cope with moletv links and a new page type specifically for Jing
movies. But the team at Notts can’t possibly keep up with all the
variations out there and not everyone would need those extra pages either. We
can create customised stuff for local needs which is obviously one of the big
benefits of what is a fantastic tool. However I think we need a way to build
additional templates, to share those with the community and somehow allow an
author to use any of the templates available in the same LO.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I think Julian had some ideas
of how this might be achieved but I doubt that will be in time for the imminent
release of toolkits v1. In fact I don’t think we should distract Julian
and Pat from getting that finished or do anything to stop the frequent updates
and improvements that have been added recently or in the future. I think we just
need a solution to prevent duplicated effort.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><b><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
xerte-bounces@lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces@lists.nottingham.ac.uk] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Peter
Huppertz<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 11 March 2009 21:59<br>
<b>To:</b> xerte@lists.nottingham.ac.uk<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Xerte] Creating custom templates on the basis of
Nottingham.rlt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear List,</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>the
Nottingham-template of the xerte installation includes many nice features I
would like to have in my own template. On the other hand I want to tailor the
design of my learning piece to the ci of my institute and to the needs of the
project I work on.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So my approach
in the past was to take the Nottingham template and redesign it. For example:</span>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- change the
size of the project to my needs</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- change the
interface with custom header, buttons, panels, fonts, etc.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- change the
position of the different items that are generated/loaded/etc.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- include
custom exercises</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In the last few
days literally every hour a new version of the template arrived. Which is good
in terms of development, but which is bad for me, cause I must either change my
template to include the new features, or tailor the Nottingham-template again.</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So now my
question is: is my process the right way to tailor a template to my needs or is
there a completely different approach which is much simpler? If there is no
simpler way, would it be possible to make the Nottingham-template easier to
tailor. Some ideas I have:</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- store all
positing data in variables based on the size of the stage</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- use css
styles for all text which is displayed</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>- create a
template for a custom interface (including next/previous buttons, help button,
etc.)</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So, please tell
me what you think. If you see some value in my idea I would be happy to help
you!</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Before I forget
it: Xerte is really a great tool. The best balance between userfriendlyness and
totally customizable I have ever seen! Good job.</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Peter</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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