New WIKINDX site -- and some questions
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Hi all,
I would like to introduce myself as a recent WIKINDX user and present my Comics Research Bibliography at http://www.germanistik.uni-bonn.de/comicforschung/index.php.
Thanks a lot for that great tool, it was not too complicated to set up the system on our server (I would have been even more happier if I would be able to use our existing PostgreSQL server instead of MySQL, but OK for that ...), and WIKINDX imported my almost 1500 entries BibTeX database without blinking.
As you maybe have seen, I use a heavy modified "green marble" theme and I have even tinkered a lot with the menu bar. I'm trying to simplify the menu, because I think it's cluttered up with too many entries which I'm afraid will confuse my users.
I don't know what you are planning for the next version, but could that be an option to choose between a full set of menu entries and a more reduced, core set?
Furthermore I don't think it's an interesting information on my site who has added the bibliographic entry (always boring me anyway ...). Nor is the "popularity index" something a academic researcher will be interested in, so could you add a possibility to switch off these two?
I think a more clean and sober, tidied up user interface would make WIKINDX even more usefull.
A last feature request (at least for now ;^) ...): would it be possible to switch between a set of languages more directly, like by clicking on a national flag? Maybe english users will have difficulties to understand that 'Benutzereinstellungen' means 'Preferences', and that one can switch between languages there.
Keep up the good work!
Best,
Joachim
Hi Joachim,
Always good to see new sites popping up and thanks for the compliments.
I am working on v4 which will have a much reduced core and will have many of the current core processes available as downloadable plug-ins. That will help cut down the menu items. Additionally, I'm using smarty templates for the HTML display and have given a lot more control to administrators over what is displayed (including who's added what etc.).
National flag icon for languages is a good idea. It is actually possible to do that right now by figuring out what the querystring is for changing the language then using those querystrings in the footer.tpl (if that's where you want them) with the appropriate flags.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Talking of cutting down the menu items: wouldn't it be smarter to put a single item "Export" in the menu and then to let the user choose between the export formats?
If you are considering the language switch maybe you could take into account that beyond the menu interface it's even the front page description which possibly could be translated?
You'll notice how excited I am about the potential of WIKINDX, even if I haven't explored all the features and configuration possibilities by now – so bear with me if I'm not fully understanding many of the concepts yet.
Joachim
Hi Joachim,
I'll take note of the front-page language although I'd expect that to be done by the translator -- babelfish and the like are more funny than accurate.
In v4 (you can play around with it as it currently stands by downloading it from the SVN server on this site), uses multiple-level drop-down menus. So, for example, 'Export' will have one entry below which, drops down another menu with the choices. If you're suggesting that clicking on 'Export' opens another web page with the clickable options on it, I have used that model in some cases but the complaint about that is that it is a) an extra page call to the server and b) and extra click.
Mark
Mark,
of course I thought of the translation being done by the administrator – maybe there is a possibility to making use of a translation of the front page description in v3 I don't know about? I thought that switching the language in the preferences applies only to the menu and help texts.
The solution concerning the export options sounds reasonable. I would like to try out v4, but is it possible to install it co-existing with v3 on the same server? Which functionality is yet missing, which known bugs exist? I'm a little bit anxious to take a risk with my existing database.
Joachim