[Zope3-dev] Proposal for file-system synchronization in Zope3

[Andy McKay]

> > How
> > does this proposal help CMF?

> It could help CMF by, for example, allowing customized scripts to be
synchonized.
> In fact, it would eliminate the need for file-directory views, allowing a
choice
> of how one wants to manage their data.

Great.

> I have to say that I really don't understand what your complaint is.
> Can you say what specifically ypu would like to be different?  Are
> you trying to suggest that existing systems could be leveraged? If so,
> could you be more specific?

I believe there are similar goals and uses in these products.

I would like to make it easier for:
a) users to move objects between storages and products
b) developers to write products to move objects

To accomplish this I believe we need a common API for moving objects between
the ZODB and the file system. One way to achieve this goal is to expand the
import and export functionality we currently have in Zope to this new "file
editable" standard.

Once we have a common API and standard for moving objects and representing
objects on the file system, we will have more flexible and powerful tools
that work with each other.

Example:
- I want to serve DTML and Python Scripts in the ZODB from the file system.
How do I accomplish this?
- sync the objects using the Synchronization
 - objects pass through the common API and are written in a standard format
- serve the objects using FS Directory View (or some similar product)
 - objects are read using the standard format and served to the user

Example:
- I want to extend CVSMixin so that more direct cvs access is available in
Zope
- currently CVSMixin exports objects as xml. It then mangles the xml and
starts messing with it.
- save the object using the common API
 - some of the data will be available in a common format that can be loaded
directly into CVS

I just want to ensure that if we check something into the core, its a
standard, flexible, extensible system for the good of all mankind. Whilst
the syncrohnization proposal is great, I would rather see:
- this common API and standard file format
- the syncrohnization tool built on top of that.

Hope that makes sense.
--
  Andy McKay
  www.agmweb.ca