[Xerte] Developer documentation

[Nicola Wilkinson]

I too am a fan of the phpdoc standard, built in a similar manor to the Javadoc. As for Xerte from examining the code the use of this is sporadic - mind I can't criticise as I too fall foul of not always doing the right thing. However, having been in the position of having to go through an entire project and put this in place - for some one familiar with the code this isn't arduous or too time consuming incomparision with the benefits.

As a start to document things - you should be able to pull some really simple pointers together. Really all I would like to see if a txt doc that covers,

1. so you've downloaded the svn code rather than use the exe doc.
2. if using apache put the following ...

Alias /xerte/ "C:/xerte/toolkits_server/"
	<Directory "C:/xerte/toolkits_server/">
	Order allow,deny
	Allow from all
	Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
	</Directory>

... in the config file, is using xammp do....

3. set up the database by running script ... (remember to include the creation of the schema as well)
4. Now you are ready to do ... browse to ??? to get started.

if interested in developing you need to know...
basic structure of the app
roughly how things hang together
what coding style is used
where to get help


Nic

-----Original Message-----
From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Fred Riley
Sent: 14 May 2009 12:30
To: Xerte discussion list
Subject: RE: [Xerte] Developer documentation

I'd second this request, though wouldn't expect it to be fulfilled as it takes a *lot* of time to write comprehensive technical documentation, particularly on a rapidly evolving application such as Xerte. As a developer, I try to write documentation contemporaneously, mainly for my own benefit so that a year later I can figure out what the £@#! I was doing, but it's hard going and time-consuming. In general, this is a problem with many Open Source applications - it's all very well having the source to hand, but in a complex app with tens/hundreds of source files it's the devil's own task to find out what calls what, when and why, and to get an overview of structure. 

Out of curiousity, are the PHP scripts commented with the phpdoc standard? I came across that relatively recently, about a year ago, and it's a big help. 

Cheers

Fred

Fred Riley
Learning Technologist
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, University of Nottingham
Vcard: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nursing/sonet/about/fr_uon.vcf  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk 
> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of 
> Nicola Wilkinson
> Sent: 14 May 2009 11:19
> To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
> Subject: [Xerte] Developer documentation
> 
> Hi
> 
> Do you have any documentation for a code developer to get 
> started. Although I have taken the code of the SVN it is very 
> hard to get your head around. I am interested in the online 
> tool kit in particular. From the code I can only see elements 
> of the pages - i.e. the header of html and the start of the 
> body tag, which then appears to be concluded in a php file.
> 
> There are no instructions for any one downloading from the 
> SVN as to what the database script code is, where it is and 
> how to apply this.
> 
> Basically - how do you get started with Xerte with out using 
> the .exe file.
> 
> In addition have you any coding standards that are being 
> followed. I ask only because I have noted that you are using 
> the abbreviated php tag (<?) rather than the more commonly 
> accepted tag (<?php). If you do have coding standards have 
> you any intention to publish them any where.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Nic
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> Nicola Wilkinson
> Learning Technologist / eLearning Systems Developer engCETL
> 
> Tel: 01509 22 7186
> email: N.Wilkinson at lboro.ac.uk
> 
> Web: http://webpaproject.lboro.ac.uk/
> JISCmail: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/webpa.html
> Project Blog: http://webpa-tec.blogspot.com/
> --------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
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