Sci Team: Documentation in advance of VODesktop Beta

IoA: 20071127 @ 10-16 in the Obs Meeting Room

Present: NAW, EGS, AMSR, SD, JAT, DKW, GG

Apologies: KTN

Agenda

1. top level site layout
2. web sitetechnology choice
3. science user docs for VODesktop

Notes

Top Level Site Layout

It was AGREED that the focus of the top level should be on the science end user. therefore http://www.astrogrid.org should have as a home page one aimed at the science user.

Layout suggestion for home page:

Top Bar: Home / Deployers / Developers / Project ... Helpdesk

Side Bar: Getting started / Documentation / Data Access / Data Analysis / Examples /Acknowledgements

Right hand block: News and Service Announcements.

The home page would have a 'download VOdesktop' button - push that to get the VODesktop installed on your dekstop - see http://www.mozilla.com and its prominent link to the download firefox button as an example.

In general the meeting liked the structure simplifications suggested in the briefing paper from keith Noddle (27 Nov 2007). Main difference would be that there would be no parent web site - the main page would be the one for Science - and the top level button to Project (http://www.astrogrid.org/project) would be where info about Astrgrid would be contained. This would also be where project memebers could get access to the the internal project wiki, maven etc.

The Deployers link (http://www.astrogrid.org/deploy) would be where resource providers could get AG components to enable them to publish their data/applications

The Developers link (http://www.astrogrid.org/develop) would be for developers to get access to the AG codebase - they could then write their own apps etc against AG interfaces etc.

Technology

Trac (http://trac.edgewall.org/) may be a suitable replacement for the current Plone based site.

Mediawiki and Gridsite were also mentioned as possibilities to at least discount.

In discussion it was not clear if trac would be a suitable replacement for the plone - it appears best suited for small development projects which currently use subversion for code control. Note that the trac home pages states that: 'Trac is an enhanced wiki and issue tracking system for software development projects'. Thus it might be the right solution for the wrong problem. See http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-03-2007/jw-03-bugs.html and http://cvsdude.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=876 for some background.

There was some concern that we might not need a ticketing system for end users - that most bug reports will come in via email or phone. Thus these could be transfered to the existing Bugzilla system for project use and tracking.

We might want to think more carefully about what we want to archive in terms of technology. This meeting considered that the most important requirement was for a CMS which is able to present infomation in a 'slick' manner, AND is easy to update by team members (keeping structure). Thus the Plone is ok for presentation, but hard to update. The issue of a ticket system was seen as secondary.

Issues that were raised included:

• ability to write content in say openoffice and save in relevant format (e.g. openoffice write mediawiki markup as an output format option)
• ability to link help pages to vodesktop seamlessly

Allocation of Doc tasks

It was AGREED that docs would be written against the functionality contained within - alpha8 - see http://software.astrogrid.org/voexplorer/voexplorer-2007.4.alpha8-app.jar

VODesktop - introduction pages to ... NAW

• VOExplorer - AL to write intro para
  • File - JAT - draft page ...attach here as text ... etc
  • Edit - EGS
  • View - AMSR
  • Resource - SD
  • Window - DKW
  • Help - NAW
• File Explorer - DKW
• All-VO Scope - JAT
• Task Runner - AMSR/ SD
  • Query Builder - AMSR
• Self Tests/ Background Processess - NAW - draft page [.txt]
  • selftests.png
  • backgroundprocesses.png
• Login/Logout/ Preferences - EGS
• VO Desktop Help/ About VODesktop/ Exit

Note: SD will help with documnation for Solar aspects - so the STAP list in VOExplorer

It was noted that the UIs are different on different window managers.

The Firefox help maybe of relevance - especially the line 'Menu Reference'.

Scripting and Workflows

• Stubb for Taverna
• Python Scripting - EGS
  • add about how to script from Windows - JAT

Help Applications

• Topcat etc - AMSR - perhaps use the Plastic page from sourceforge as a basis

For now the the help documentation will be written in text format and graphics in png or jpeg. Drafts will be attached to this wiki page

Next Steps

• telecon with keith re plone replacement - telecon - Mon 3rd Dec at 11.30 [tbd]
• documentation progress telecon - Fri 7th Dec at 14.00
• agreement on plone replacement ??

• VOExplorer-FileMenu.txt: 1st draft of VOExplorer File menu help text

• DocGlossary