History for ProjectDefinition

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What is the Zope Studio project and what will we be trying to accomplish? We'll
keep this document up-to-date as we progress. Just in case you're wondering:
This documentation structure is based on the "Prince 2":http://www.prince2.com/
project management methods.

Project Definition

  Background

    The current Zope object management environment is grounded in a central
    idea: anybody should be able to sit down at a web browser and manage Zope
    using standards. Competitive systems have taken a thick-client approach that
    focuses on productivity. Zope's management environment pays for the
    flexibility of an "Internet architecture" by being less productive than
    competitive "thick-client" environments.

  Goals

    The goal will be to create a management interface for Zope, built upon the
    Mozilla architecture. This interface should allow you to do the same things
    as the current HTML based Zope management interface, but should be more
    flexible, and more like a regular GUI application.

  Reach

    Zope Studio will be an extra product, an addition to Zope, not replace the
    current management interface.

  Limitations

    Zope Studio will be built on Mozilla, an Open Source web browser and web
    client framework.  Replicating the functionality of the current management
    interface, but with more flexibility, will be priority.

  Results

    We will be building the following products:

    ZopeStudio -- The new IDE like interface.

    ZopeStudioServerComponent -- Supporting functionality on a managed
    server. It could be that some of this functionality should merge into the
    Zope core.

    ZopeStudioDocumentation -- Documentation for the Zope Studio Product.

    MozillaAppWidgets -- Possibly a new special purpose Mozilla skin defining
    widgets for 3rd party applications. Development is *most likely* going to
    take place in co-operation with Mozilla and other 3rd party developers.

  Assumtions

    Zope Studio will probably not need the use of C++ skills. Zope Studio can
    most probably be fully implemented using !JavaScript alone. Also, we'll
    assume that any Python language additions to Mozilla will not be ready in
    time to be of use to the initial developent.

  Relations with other projects

    *Need to clarify relationship with documentation and interfaces projects,
    and how and when  functionality from the Zope Studio server component could
    be merged into core Zope*

    Zope Studio will be built upon Mozilla, and as such has a relationship with
    the Mozilla development effort.

Global Business Case

  *Global description on how Zope Studio fits in with the global Zope
  vision/targets. What are the interrelational expectations? This is the why of
  Zope Studio. This business case will be revisited at every stage to readjust,
  so Zope Studio will stay a relevant project*

Quality Expectations

  There will be some guidelines on coding standards. All Mozilla side code will
  be using Javascript 1.5, and development should loosely track the Mozilla
  development. We will set up some sessions to determine functionality groups,
  and priorities of functionality.

Acceptance Crtiteria

  What functionality will be needed to make a Zope Studio version 1 will be
  determined after some initial functionality prioritisation has taken place.
  The priorities can of course later on still be shifted, but this should not
  happen without explicit discussion.

Risks log

   There is a seperate page for RisksAndMitigation.