All settings should be moved out of the topic text

As of Dakar there are two different mechanisms for topic settings: putting a "   * Set into the topic text or using the Edit settings button on the More page. This creates one logical and one performance problem. The logical problem is not knowing which setting takes precedence? AFAIK it's not documented anywhere. The performance problem is having to scan the topic text to find all of the settings.

-- Contributors: MeredithLesly

Discussion

ACL has been the focus of in-text settings discussions for the most part, and that probably creates the biggest performance hit. Nonetheless, ACL is just one prominent example of the bigger problem.

The major obstacles that I see:

• the Preference pages
• the settings area, which turn into the META:PREFERENCE entries, does not currently support associated comments
• the standard bugaboo: compatibility

-- MeredithLesly - 14 Apr 2006

The settings page could be layed out like configure, with alternating rows of explanation text and a form field. Or by using a derivative of a topic form.

-- ArthurClemens - 14 Apr 2006

That would be fine. I don't see a way of automating it, however. Sigh.

-- MeredithLesly - 17 Apr 2006

You didn't mention that 'automating' was required.

-- ArthurClemens - 17 Apr 2006