SID-00718: How to Create New Topics from Searches

Status:	Answered	TWiki version:	4.2.0	Perl version:	5.8.8
Category:		Server OS:	RHEL5	Last update:	15 years ago

Here's my challenge. I need to have a master table with todo's, project Items, etc. I'd like to use the search feature to extract items from that "master" list based on a string (eg complete, scheduled, etc) and be able to use something like the EditTablePlugin to modify those items returned from the search. I've not had too much success with this idea. So I started thinking about using the search feature to extract the items from the master list, but then dump the results to a new topic. This would allow edit-ability and archived results. Any thoughts on how I might accomplish this?

-- EricAiken - 2010-01-13

Discussion and Answer

Hi - please elaborate more on your idea. Not getting it The final goal is not clear. Seems like some "task management" tool.

-- SopanShewale - 2010-01-14

We've used the TablePlugin to create tables of tasks. I'd like to extend the "process" to generate new topics from existing tables. You can easily create a table via search or formatted search. I'm trying to figure out if there is a way extract data from a table and save it as another table or topic.

for example, I might have a table containing 100 items. Using search I could extract, say 20 items and display them. Those Items are generated on the fly via search. If I could save them as a new topic, then I could have a permanent copy of what was extracted from that search at the slice in time.

-- EricAiken - 2010-01-14

I think this question can be split up into two:

1. How can I easily track tasks with a workflow?
2. How can I take snapshots of the states of current tasks?

1. How can I easily track tasks with a workflow?

The EditTablePlugin is a quick and easy way to keep a list of items with status. It has limitations, there is no easy way to maintain separate tables, such as open tasks, closed tasks. You get that flexibility with TWikiForms based TWiki applications using FormattedSearch. It takes a bit more time to set this up, but you can easily generate reports using a SQL-like QuerySearch.

2. How can I take snapshots of the states of current tasks?

Create a TWikiTemplates based app (example: MeetingMinutes) with a template that contains the %SEARCHes that you need for archiving. Enclose those variables into a section of type="expandvariables" so that they expand at topic creation time. Details at TWikiTemplates

-- PeterThoeny - 2010-01-15

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