Plone Inspector

[limi]

Create a "Plone Inspector" that unifies and integrates various developer tools to make it easier to "peel back the layers" of Plone development.

Status update: Two Google Summer of Code projects related to this have been finished. This has created an infrastructure:

 http://svn.zope.org/zope.introspector/

This infrastructure is based on grokcore.component and grokcore.views. An effort of integrating this into a Zope/Plone UI exists at

 https://svn.plone.org/svn/collective/plone.introspector/

[grahamperrin]

Suggestion

As one element of a Plone inspector, how about a GUI that:

• graphically abstracts an existing buildout.cfg
  • in other words, allows the administrator to see —very clearly— only the essence of the .cfg

• presents options for comparing multiple buildout.cfg files
  • and maybe merging
    • ideally, with an option to accept only selected aspects during a merger
      • for example: I may be interested in (and wish to keep note of) an add-on product that's specified in someone else's buildout — but not yet interested enough to have that product present on my file system following a buildout
    • ideally, with an option to # comment-out lines that relate to non-selected aspects.

That's adapted from  http://www.nabble.com/Re%3A-Buildout-p16757757.html and whilst I doubt that lazy expressions such as non-selected aspects will be universally understood, hopefully you get the idea.

Scenarios

Administrators might select from an index/listing/repository for available buildouts.

(Not forgetting the on-list discussions of pros and cons of publishing one's buildout.cfg.)

I would have found a tool such as this enormously useful when I first encountered  this published buildout and I wished to test that buildout with add-on products specified in my own buildout (and a copy of my production Data.fs). Instinct was to test, test, test but my (then) reticence about buildout was an obstacle.

Distinction/sketch

What I have in mind may be subtly/greatly different from  Summit notions of a buildout builder.

If you'd like a sketch of what I have in mind, I can post here (or to a list, or to a separate ticket, whichever you prefer).

---

For the benefit of people finding this ticket #7850 without knowing its origins:

•  http://plone.org/events/2008-summit/next-actions-and-champions
•  http://www.nabble.com/PSPS08-7850-Plone-Introspector-td15527079s6741.html

[derek_richardson]

I think grahamperrin's comment #6 is directly in line with the buildout builder - please move discussion to http://dev.plone.org/plone/ticket/7864 .

[grahamperrin]

Replying to derek_richardson:

buildout builder - please move discussion to http://dev.plone.org/plone/ticket/7864 .

For mis-placement, my apologies. I sought buildout builder at  http://plone.org/events/2008-summit/next-actions-and-champions but ticket #7864 and its description are missing from the list of focus areas. On list I'm advised that it was a late addition.

[grahamperrin]

Replying to grahamperrin:

Suggestion

Discussion of comment:6 moved to  http://www.nabble.com/PSPS2008-7864%3A-Buildout-Builder-td15535438s6741.html#a16781672

[regebro]

Updated description to reflect current status.

[bleicher]

I am interested in this project, but couldn't find any updates or a more detailed description.

The GSoC links require a log in. Is this intentional?

Or is this all for the dramatic effect, not to publish anything before showdown?

[witsch]

Replying to bleicher:

Or is this all for the dramatic effect, not to publish anything before showdown?

lol. but yes, i was wondering about that as well at some point... :)