[Tm4j-developers] The Future of TM4Web

[Kal A. <ka...@te...>]

Apologies for the cross-posting, I just wanted to be sure that I got=20
everyone's attention ;-)

A while ago, Florian Haas and Thomas Bauer contributed a package called T=
M4Web=20
to the TM4J Project. This package contains a set of stylesheets for=20
converting XTM syntax topic maps into a collection of HTML pages using th=
e=20
page-per-topic style of the TM4J.org website.

Separately from that work, I had developed a template-based mechanism for=
=20
creating HTML pages directly from a TM4J TopicMap which works both as a=20
servlet and as a stand-alone application.

Separately from that, I have played with Cocoon and the TM4Web stylesheet=
s to=20
create a little sample webapp that uses TM4J APIs to extract topic map=20
fragments and TM4Web stylesheets to create the HTML output in a Cocoon=20
processing pipe.

Separately from *that*, Christoph Frolich, Niko Schmuck and Martin Stockh=
ammer=20
are working on TMNav which, while aimed more at the development of GUI to=
ols,=20
has a strong web application component with a WS interface and with a=20
flexible abstraction and rendering process which would work well in a web=
=20
application.

Separately from all of that, I know that a number of people are using TM4=
J to=20
create web applications using a wide variety of frameworks and toolkits.

What we all have in common is that we are creating web applications for=20
presenting and/or modifying topic maps in a browser, but we are taking=20
different approaches with different focusses and different strenghts and=20
weaknesses.

My feeling is that this is all good.

What I would like to do is to use TM4Web as a banner project for bringing=
=20
together design approaches; patterns for rendering topic maps; utility=20
classes and sample tools and applications all with the aim of making it e=
asy=20
for developers to find some starting point for their own applications.  T=
his=20
is quite a big undertaking and I would like to get an idea about how much=
=20
support there is for this in the community.

Do you think that this approach is a good idea, or would you prefer to se=
e the=20
TM4J project produce a single one-size-fits-all solution for topic maps o=
n=20
the web ?

Do you have any experience and/or sample code which you might consider=20
contributing to TM4Web ?

Am I just mad for even contemplating this ? (probably)

Any thoughts / opinions gratefully received.

Cheers,

Kal
=20
--=20
Kal Ahmed, techquila.com
XML and Topic Map Consultancy

e: ka...@te...
p: +44 7968 529531
w: www.techquila.com