316213 - dev_guide.html is out of date

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Calendar :: Website, defect)

Description

[Joey Minta]

Our architecture has changed substantially since that page was written.  The 'Files and Directory Structure' section still refers to libxpical, and makes no mention of base/.  That stuff should be removed and a decision needs to be made about how much new information ought to be kept there.  For instance, the blank 'Calendar API' section would be a very large task.  It seems to me, if we want to produce some cal-development docs, that it might make more sense instead to use wiki.mozilla.org or developer.mozilla.org.  The wiki-formats there would allow us to be more in depth in what we explain, and to do so in a more incremental fashion.  Additionally, creating these docs might help us recruit a few more developers.  Comments/suggestions welcome.

Comment 1

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v1 preview: add component stack diagrams, update directory descriptions

Divides components into 3 broad categories, each with two stack-diagrams.   

Presentation (FrontEnd GUI)
  XUL Applications
  Shared XBL, XUL Components

Logic 
  Format, Timer Services
  Calendaring Calculations

Storage (BackEnd)
  calendar manager
  calendar providers
  
Most components interesting to application writers are at the top layer of their stack.  (The diagram does not attempt to explain how to use them.)  There are some compromises for brevity.

(The component stack diagrams are html tables, so they are easier for anyone to edit than an image, plus they are searchable, and reformat to the width of the browser.  The component stack diagrams use style declarations, so it is  difficult to develop them in a wiki.  Best viewed with firefox/seamonkey.)

Comment 2

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v1 patch: add component stack diagrams, update directory descriptions

(created via "edit this page".  See previous comment for description and preview html.)

Comment 3

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v2 preview: add overview block diagram, move component stack diagrams into sections

Added links from top to major sections (architecture, specificiations, wiki).
Added overview block diagram, with links to each component stack diagram.
Moved component stack diagrams into sections with links to directories.
Many editing revisions.

Comment 4

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v2 patch: add overview block diagram, move component stack diagrams into sections

(patch generated via "edit this page".  See previous comments for description and
preview html.)

Comment 5

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v3 preview: add overview block diagram, component stack diagrams in sections (valid xhtml)

Small changes from v2: 
Now valid xhtml (validated by validator.w3.org via Web Developer extension).
"(Future)" component boxes are now transparent.

Comment 6

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v3 patch: add overview block diagram, component stack diagrams in sections (valid xhtml)

(patch generated via "edit this page".  See previous comments for descriptions
and preview html.)

Comment 7

[Simon Paquet [:sipaq]]

(In reply to comment #6)
> Created an attachment (id=215507) [edit]
> v3 patch: add overview block diagram, component stack diagrams in sections
> (valid xhtml)
> 
> (patch generated via "edit this page".  See previous comments for descriptions
> and preview html.)

Sorry for getting to this so late and thanks for your work, but I was wondering, whether it wouldn't be better to combine your efforts with jminta's efforts on the Calendar wiki --> http://wiki.mozilla.org/Calendar:Dev_Guide

Since that document is in a far better state, why don't you just take a look at it, tweak it and then save it (because you don't need a review on the wiki) and I will move the link from the outdated dev guide to the dev guide on the wiki.

Comment 8

[gekacheka]

(In reply to comment #7)
> [move to wiki.mozilla.org] 

How can a wiki.mozilla.org page use CSS style *rules* ?
The table diagrams become unmaintainable without CSS rules.  The CSS rules apply consistently to many cells.  There seems to be no way to have rules for just one page, neither on the page nor in an external stylesheet.

I guess this means a global CSS file for wiki.mozilla.org needs to be modified (may be ok since rules can be used for diagrams on other pages in the future).  What is process to make additions to global CSS for wiki.mozilla.org?

Comment 9

[gekacheka]

Filed bug 334225 to add the style rules for component-block-diagrams and component-stack-diagrams to cavendish/main.css.

Comment 10

[Matthew (lilmatt) Willis]

Reassigning all automatically assigned bugs from Mostafa to nobody@m.o

Bugspam filter: TorontoMostafaMove

Comment 11

[Reed Loden [:reed]]

The bugspam monkeys have been set free and are feeding on Calendar :: Website. Be afraid for your sanity!

Comment 12

[Simon Paquet [:sipaq]]

Comment on attachment 215507 [details] [diff] [review]
v3 patch: add overview block diagram, component stack diagrams in sections (valid xhtml)

deb_guide.html no longer exists. The link now points to http://wiki.mozilla.org/Calendar:Dev_Guide

I suggest that you make needed changes there, which is also much easier, because it's a wiki.