ZopeStudioVision

In this document I'll try and present my ideas for ZopeStudio. Call it the project Vision if you like.

Update Have a look at the Mockups as well.

ZopeStudio will be the new generation management interface for Zope. Thus, it will perform as many of the functions of the current interface as possible. I target it at the Zope Site developer.

• (from jeffrey p shell) Zope Site Developer????? That's an ambiguous term. What is a site developer? Is it a content manager? Or a Python / ZClass? developer making objects for the Content Manager to use? in other words -- exactly who is the audience? We definitely need a better Developer Interface that (in my opinion) makes it easy for Developers to make MVC based objects that content managers can use easily. A developer system should also, in my opinion,
  • Encourage "proper" DTML coding (using no shortcuts and as little dtml-scripting (expr) usage as possible.)
  • Put a more project-builder type interface (or some similar interface) on the Products area, seperating the Classes from the Factories and other little bits.
  • Maybe promote categories? (see Smalltalk and Objective C. Categories are actually similar to how we do Permissions in Zope. They basically make code more discoverable by grouping methods and properties by functionality)

ZopeStudio should support:

• A multi-window, object centric approach
• Specific support for DTML coding, with collapsing/expanding of code.
• Drop-in components. Drag, drop and fill in a property sheet or wizard.
• The Interfaces Project. It will enable ZopeStudio to support unknown object types, at least partly.
• The old-style management interface for objects ZopeStudio has no specific support for.
• Plug-in like extensions for new DTML tags and new object types.
• External editors.

ZopeStudio will be installed on the users harddisk, using XPInstall. Plug- ins will use the same mechanism. This way we can avoid most security related problems, and increase ZopeStudio performance.

--MartijnPieters

I've placed some OtherZopeStudioThoughts online as well, focusing on taking advantage of Mozilla facilities. --Paul

Elaboration on this document can be found in my comments to Paul's OtherZopeStudioThoughts, and Shalabh's MiscIdeas.

MartijnPieters

And also Jerry's IDEs.

Shalabh