[Zope] Structured/location-directed publishing: Zope vs Zope-PTK

[Dennis Nichols]

BACKGROUND: For the last 2 weeks I've been learning Zope so I can implement 
my current project using it. Just today, I looked at PTK for the first time 
since the day I discovered Zope. It seems to me that what I need falls 
halfway between just Zope and Zope-PTK.

REQUESTING: Advice, or advice on how to get advice :-)

A brief description of the project:

Substantial content, structured in a conventional hierarchy but with often 
changing content:
- 15 top level picks
- 1-8 sublevel picks per top level
- 1 to 100 pages per sublevel (sometimes with own substructure)
- Navigation tree on left similar to Zope Manage interface
- About 5-10 "special" content creators who can, in addition, create structure
- Total of about 20 "regular" content creators
- Need review of content before publishing

Even more substantial unstructured content from other Members numbering 
x00,000 who can:
- create content (may need review) in their own space
- comment on content supplied by above content creators (may need review)
- access web-based email
- participate in forums (may need review)

The "special" content creators, "regular" content creators, and other 
members should all use the same authentication/authorization system.

None of the above seems particularly daunting to me -- given adequate time, 
I could construct it by coding and using various existing products on a 
Zope base or a PHP base.  But the Zope base seems like the substantially 
better choice for this project. However, I don't know whether to turn down 
the PTK path or stick just with Zope (either way, I'm sure I'll use 
LoginManager).

Zope-PTK wins at providing:
- non-framed management interface w/ wizards
- reviewing mechanism

But fails entirely at:
- supporting structured content

Left to my own devices, I'd start working on structured content within the 
PTK. However, the background noted in 
http://lists.zope.org/pipermail/zope-ptk/2000-April/000562.html makes it 
unclear as to how to proceed. I also note that Nitin Borwankar in 
http://lists.zope.org/pipermail/zope-ptk/2000-April/000569.html is working 
on a similar (I think) task.

All advice gleefully welcomed!!!


--
Dennis Nichols
nichols@tradingconnections.com