[WWdevel] links to problem libraries

[Michael G. <ga...@ma...>]

Hi all,

I've had some difficulties describing the process of adding new  
problem libraries to other webwork system admins.
The problem is retroactively adding links to the problem libraries  
from the templates files of the existing courses.

For new courses, I simply add the links to the modelCourse and copy  
that whenever I make a new course.
For the old courses I have written a script, but it's not that robust  
or portable.

The nationalLibrary  (or database_problib or whatever name you wish  
to use) automatically adds a link if its missing.

I was thinking of adding some information to global.conf, so that  
something similar could be done with the other problem libraries.   
I'd replace

$courseFiles{problibs}    = {
	rochesterLibrary => "Rochester",
	rochester_grade8Library =>"Rochester grade 8",
	asuLibrary       => "Arizona State",
	dcdsLibrary      => "Detroit CDS",
	dartmouthLibrary => "Dartmouth",
	indianaLibrary   => "Indiana",
	nauLibrary       => "Northern Arizona",
	osuLibrary       => "Ohio State",	
    capaLibrary      => "CAPA",
    unionLibrary     =>  "Union",
    tcnjLibrary      => "TCNJ"
};


by

$courseFiles{problibs}    = {
	rochesterLibrary => { name => "Rochester", path=> '/ww/webwork/ 
rochester_problib'},
	rochester_grade8Library =>{name=> "Rochester grade 8", path => '/ww/ 
webwork/rochester8thgrade_problib'},
... etc.
};

With this structure we could later add more information about each  
library if that was needed.



Does anyone see downsides to this?  Should we just encourage the use  
of scripts, and perhaps write some robust ones?
Does anyone have better/different ideas about this?

Thanks much.

Take care,

Mike