= Development of python.org Website to promote and inform about python =
'''Note:''' This proposal was funded and completed. See PythonWebsite for information on ongoing content and tool development for the python.org website.
The python website development started approximately a year ago. Over
the period of the last year there has been significant input from Python
users, advocates and board members which has resulted in the following
deliverables
{{{
1. Logo
2. Website design
3. Website Template Build
4. An initial information architecture
5. An implementation plan
}}}
The site has been built as XHTML 1.0 Transitional using CSS Positioning
techniques. This is widely accepted best practise for reasons of
usability, accessibility and forward compatibility. It also ensures that
pages are small and hence the site is quick. A final advantage is that,
if desired, the site can be re-skinned without replacing the HTML and
hence without rebuilding the templating system. The site design can be
seen as built and tested HTML at www.pythonworld.com (there have been
some changes since it was tested across browsers so compatibility may be
lacking, full cross browser testing of this template will take place and
any problems fixed).
The current state of the project has been inspected and given verbal
approval by Steve Holden and has no outstanding issues held against it.
The next stage of the project is to develop the following components
{{{
1. The templating system (prototype nearly complete)
2. Final information architecture
3. A set of conversion modules that will allow changes made to the
current content to be kept largely in sync until such time as
the site is deemed ready to launch.
}}}
This step needs some intensive effort which we (myself and Matt Goodall)
will undertake. Unfortunately we estimate that it would take
approximately three weeks for two people to complete and we think this
would take more than four months to do in our spare time (even that
presumes that our company doesn't place too many demands on us).
We are proposing to contribute one month of work and we ask the Python
grant fund to provide the other one month at Pollenation's cost rate.
This would work out as 4,000 GBP. If this is possible we would look to
complete the work during February/March
Our company's payment terms are typically 50% initial payment. 50% on
delivery. Our deliverables would be
{{{
1. Final testing of the website HTML/CSS to ensure cross browser
compatibility and accessibility
2. a completed templating system - a nevow/yaml/rest command line
driven system of generating a html website. (initial template
data - http://pythonworld.com/resources).
3. set of modules that implements over 90% of the current Python
website - It is desired that the website content be dynamically
converted from existing ht files. This will ensure that any
revisions that take place between the start of the project and
the site launch will be included. A framework will be built that
reads the ht files and generated YAML content in a format
suitable for the templating system. For ht content that is not
in a 'typical' format, custom modules will be added to the
framework.
}}}
Because the templating system is driven from plain text files, which
contain a combination of YAML data and ReST blocks, the site will be
simple to edit with command line tools. It is expected that a standalone
webserver be included with the svn repository such that editors may run
the website on their own computers before committing any changes.
The modules will also provides a simple to use framework under which
existing content which doesn't currently integrate into the existing
site framework, may be repurposed. We will also provide templates under
which dynamically generated content (pypi, python wiki) can be included
in the new design.
It goes without saying that just as our current work has been made
without expected recompense, once the project is complete we would
continue to work at the framework and commit ourselves to supporting an
administration server that would host the templating and content system.
It is expected that the flat html files that the systems generated will
remain hosted at it's current location.
Although the work will be completed as a collaboration between our
developers, each developer will have a main responsibility. Matt Goodall
(one of the two main Nevow developers) will be creating the templating
system. Tim Parkin will be working on the content storage framework and
any modifications needed on the PyYaml module (which is currently
maintained by Pollenation Internet). Certain pages will require
additional templates building in order to accommodate their different
layouts; these templates will be provided by Pollenation.
Pollenation would like to have a small credit in the footer (which would
help enormously - the text 'web design' in a small font in the footer
with a link to our website would be more than adequate. It could appear
alongside the hosting credits - a small icon would be sufficient if text
is unacceptable). This credit would help use continue in business and
enable our business to continue offering web support for the Python
site.
Yours sincerely
Tim Parkin
Managing Director
--------------------------------------------------------------------
= APPENDIX - Details of YAML page generation =
The following is a draft example of how the YAML template data files
would look. The example is based on the home page of the site and is
consequently more complex than typical pages would be. This does
demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed system however.
{{{
---
# Type of template to use
template: standard
# Page components
contents: { meta: +meta.yml, topnav: +topnav.yml, nav: +nav.yml, main: _homepage }
# variables references above
vars:
homepage: { content: [ _title, _photos, _sidebars, _intro, _news ] }
title: 'The Official Home of the Python Programmming Language'
photos: +photos.yml
sidebars: [ +sidebar_using-python-for.yml, +sidebar_python-projects.yml ]
intro: +intro.rst
news: +news.rst
}}}
The standard template contains 'holes' labelled 'meta','topnav','nav'
and 'main'. Where a yaml file appears, it is used to file the 'hole'.
For example, the 'nav' yml file looks like this
{{{
---
# Type of template to use
template: navigation
# Contents of the template
contents:
# Main Navigation
main-navigation :
- [ABOUT, about]
- [NEWS, news]
- [DOCUMENTATION, docs]
- [DOWNLOAD, download]
- [COMMUNITY, community]
- [DEVELOPERS, dev]
- [LINKS, links]
# Additional to make certain sections default open
open-navigation: [about]
# Quick links for navigation
quick-links:
documentation:
- [languages, docs/lang]
- [libraries, docs/libraries]
- [modules, docs/modules]
- [more, docs]
downloads:
- [python-2.3.tar.bz2, ftp/python/2.3/python-2.3.tar.bz2]
- [python-2.3.exe, ftp/python/2.3/python-2.3.exe]
- [more, downloads]
}}}
It can be seen that it is simple to add a new top level navigation item
or quick link. The template has to have some knowledge of how it is to
be rendered (to understand a list of links or a group of lists of links,
as in the quick links case: or that 'open-navigation' refers to the
'main-navigation' and what it means.
A typical page would not have to include the navigation section as it
can be inherited from it's parent; This is also true for the meta and
topnav elements. The only important items are the contents (which can be
just a ReST file) and optionally the sidebar (which may be a table of
contents, possibly auto generated from the document itself).
From this it can be seen that to generate a new page is as simple as
generating a new directory, copying an index.yml, changing the contents
mapping to include a 'main: +main.rst' and adding a ReST document named
'main.rst'.
{{{
--
Tim Parkin, Pollenation Internet Ltd
e: tim at pollenation dot net w: http://www.pollenation.net
t: +44 (0)113 2252500 m: +44 (0)7980 594768
f: +44 (0)845 2802368
}}}