Question

Could anyone help me or point me to some documentation on how to build a thought manager or knowledgebase type of site? In a very vague sense, I was trying to create a "thebrain-ish" type of site. I got TreePlugin working fine, but it's very very difficult to add new topics. Is there a way I can make it automatically use the name of the current topic as the parent?

Also, is there a way I can add multiple forms to a topic?

Environment

-- AndyHarrison - 12 Nov 2003

Answer

On multiple forms to a topic: This is currently not possible. However, you get polymorphic behaviour if you create multiple form that share some form fields.

-- PeterThoeny - 12 Nov 2003

Expanding on what PeterThoeny is saying, I too had made the same request regarding multiple forms. Instead I went with Peter's suggestion and came up with a method for managing a document system in which there are multiple "maps" or indices into the same document. This allows one to arrange the same data into different views and if done properly the "arranging" can be managed by the content creator and not some dedicated librarian.

I would be happy to share a highlevel overview of how i implemented it, although the actual writeup of the system is not completed. Someone here had even requested that I turn this into a PLUGIN -- acck! I'm not that good but I might be cajoled into creating a sandbox implementation.

-- SteveRJones - 13 Nov 2003

I'm doing similar things, maybe my experience will help. It is a library catalog with many categories. After many trials my approach is as follows:

• From the Web Home I have created Start pages to the sections; the sections are not thematic in general, but rather describe broadly the kind of resources; for example CollectionsOfArticlesOnExtremeProgramming or DatabasesAndEconomicData etc.
• Start pages call the form, say CollectionsForm when creating new topic, in usual way, for example:

<form action="%SCRIPTURLPATH%/edit%SCRIPTSUFFIX%/%INTURLENCODE{"%WEB%"}%/">
Input a title of new topic: &nbsp; (Use TWiki.WikiNotation) <br />
<input type="text" name="topic" size="45" />
<input type="hidden" name="onlywikiname" value="on" />
<input type="hidden" name="templatetopic" value="CollectionsForm" />
<input type="hidden" name="topicparent" value="%TOPIC%" />
<input type="submit" value="Create Topic" /> <br />
</form>

• The CollectionsForm called by Start pages is used to create topics in variuos sections. It is universal form.
• In order to construct form I reviewed Dublin Core and decided to include some info about document in the topic title (dc:title, dc:type and even cdterms:format); for example PaperWWWExtremeProgrammingInPractice for link or CollectionDiskDemingWorks
• Other necessary tags from Dublin Core, together with categories and badges, i included in the form, in simplest possible way:

---+++ <dc:title> 
   * <dc:cerator(s)> 

<dc:description> 

   * <dcterms:issued> 
   * <dc:realtion> 
   * <URI> 

-----

Categories:
<>
<>
<>
<>

• You can simply copy and paste DC names if You want to describe more resources in one topic. You can also add some other badges to the form easily because there is only one universal form for all topics; for example

<RefactorMe>

<ElaborationInProgress>

etc.

• The form is universal, and therefore there is not usual "_Back to..._" at the bottom of the form. Instead, I use METASEARCH to render and display the parents of the Start pages. Unfortunately, it is impossible now to format this diplay, but hopefully will be possible soon (see http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins/PatternSkinDev). UPDATE (29 Jan 2004): Alternatively You can use

__Back to:%NOP%__ %URLPARAM{"topicparent"}%

http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/TWiki/TWikiFaqTemplate

• I used HTML tags in order to hide the DC names and categories. If necessary, You can easily unhide them by simply deleting at least one tag (it is equivalent to "uncomment" in the programs :))
• Now the space for categories is empty. When the library (or thaught map) is developed, You can add more and more categories between tags in the form, for example:

Categories:
<ExtremeProgrammingRules_>
<EmploymentStatistics_>
<StatisticalProcessControlAccordingToDeming_>
<MatrixComputingManuals_>

etc. In the form, all categories are closed between tags. When creating new topic, You can "untag" necessary categories simply by replacing left tag with underscore. You can also untag them later, on elaboration of the collection.

• NEW Categories and other badges have to be added immediately in the form!
• If You want to observe all collection in the catalog or in the perspective of the category, You can use usual search mechanism. For example create the category topic, say ExtremeProgrammingRules, and include a search form in it; for example:

%SEARCH{ "_ExtremeProgrammingRules_" casesensitive="on" regex="on" nosearch="on" nototal="on" header="| *Topic* | *Contents* |" format="| $topic |$summary |"}%

• You can use new features of TWiki and seach using AND or applying INCLUDE mechanism etc. if You want to mix categories.

-- AndrzejGoralczyk - 28 Jan 2004