[Zope-Annce] NeoPortal Content Pak 0.9a has been released.

Wankyu Choi wankyu@neoqst.com
Sun, 15 Dec 2002 10:21:55 +0900


I'm pleased to announce that NeoPortal Content Pak 0.9a has been
released.

NeoPortal Content Pak is a collection of CMFPlone content types. It's
dependent on Plone but I wouldn't call it Plone product since I don't
fully follow the Plone developing guides.

You can download NeoPortal Content Pak from
http://www.zoper.net/Downloads.

NeoPortal Content consists of three different types: Primitive,
Container and Element types.

Primitive Types

    Primitive NeoPortal Content Types are basic content types you'd find
in an ordinary CMF site.
    
Container Types

    Container types can **contain** Element types. Only a defined set of
NeoPortal Elements can be added to a NeoPortal Container. 
    
    NeoPortal Containers give NeoPortal Elements sequenceable id's at
the time of their addition. Any given id's via Elements' contructor
methods are ignored unless the 'no_id_check' argument is set to true
when calling '_setObject'.
    
    NeoPortal Containers can re-number its Elements' id's if needed.
    
Element Types
    
    Only NeoPortal Containers can contain NeoPortal Element Types and
Element types are container-dependent: for example, only an Advanced
Container type can contain Advanced Element types.

Members Types

Ordinary portal members can add the following NeoPortal Content Types.

Primitive Types

    - NeoPortal Document        : behaves just like CMF's Document with
additional NeoPortal features
    
    - NeoPortal News Item       : behaves just like CMF's News Item with
additional NeoPortal features
    
    - NeoPortal Link            : behaves just like CMF's Link with
additional NeoPortal features; can open new window
    
    - NeoPortal File            : behaves just like CMF's File with
additional NeoPortal features
    
    - NeoPortal Image           : behaves just like CMF's Image with
additional NeoPortal features; can edit image-specific attributes (
border, align, scale, hspace, vspace, css_class, etc )
    
    - NeoPortal Media           : NeoPortal Link + Content-type-aware
icons
    
    - NeoPortal External File   : NeoPortal File + Filesystem storage
    
    - NeoPortal Folder          : PloneFolder with addtional NeoPortal
features

Container Types

    - NeoPortal Article         : NeoPortal Folder + Article features;
as of 0.9a, all NeoPortal Element types are addable only to this
container type

Element Types

    - NeoPortal Page Element            : NeoPortal Document + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal Form Element            : NeoPortal Document + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal Table Element           : NeoPortal Document + Element
features    
    
    - NeoPortal Link Element            : NeoPortal Link + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal Media Element           : NeoPortal Media + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal File Element            : NeoPortal File + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal Image Element           : NeoPortal Image + Element
features
    
    - NeoPortal External File Element   : NeoPortal External File +
Element features
    
    Note that, as of version 0.9a, NeoPortal Form Element and NeoPortal
Table Element behave exactly like NeoPortal Page Element. I have created
these types for future versions of NeoPortal Content Pak so that I can
easily extract HTML forms and tables from a document.
    
    It is highly recommended users of NeoPortal Content Types use
NeoPortal Form Element/NeoPortal Table Element when adding HTML form or
table tags instead of directly inserting them into a Page Element.
    
Manager Types

Only managers or anyone with 'ManagePortal' permissions can add the
following NeoPortal Content Types.

Primitive Types

    - NeoPortal Advanced Document        : NeoPortal Document + advanced
features
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced News Item       : NeoPortal News Item +
advanced features
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Link            : NeoPortal Link + advanced
features; can use Javascript
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced File            : NeoPortal File + advanced
features
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Image           : NeoPortal Image + advanced
features
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Media           : NeoPortal Media + advanced
features; can open
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced External File   : NeoPortal External File +
advanced features
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Folder          : NeoPortal Folder + advanced
features            

Container Types

    - NeoPortal Advanced Article         : NeoPortal Article + advanced
features; as of 0.9a, all NeoPortal Advanced Element types are addable
only to this container type

Element Types

    - NeoPortal Advanced Page Element            : NeoPortal Page
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Document
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Form Element            : NeoPortal Form
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Document
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Table Element           : NeoPortal Table
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Document
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Link Element            : NeoPortal Link
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Link
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Media Element           : NeoPortal Media
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Media
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced File Element            : NeoPortal File
Element + NeoPortal Advanced File
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced Image Element           : NeoPortal Image
Element + NeoPortal Advanced Image
    
    - NeoPortal Advanced External File Element   : NeoPortal External
File Element + NeoPortal Advanced External File
        
Common Features for All NeoPortal Content Types

As of version 0.9a, NeoPortal Content Types come with the following
common features.

Content Caching
    
    Document-like types can cache rendered content. These types have two
common properties: 'text' and 'cooked_text'.
    
    The 'text' property holds the raw content while the 'cooked_text'
property contains the rendered content.
    
    You SHOULD never get 'text' and 'cooked_text' properties directly.
You must let NeoPortal Content Objects examine their values first. 
    
    NeoPortal Content Types define the following methods to get and set
their content:

    - getRawNeoPortalContent() : return raw content ( self.text )
    
    - setRawNeoPortalContent( self , text='' ): set text

    - getRenderedNeoPortalContent() : return cooked_text ( some NP
objects re-render their raw content depending on REQUEST )
        

Content Renderers ( Cookers )

    A NeoPortal renderable content class ( document-like classes )
define the '_cookContent' method which is used to pre-cook 
content.
        
    The 'Format' Dublin Core element defines the behavior of the
'_cookeContent' method: 'structured-text', for example, causes the
content to be rendered into Structured Text.
            
    **Embeddable** NeoPortal Content Types also define a private method
called '_renderEmbeddedObjects'. The method searches the content trying
to find embedding markers ( note! I said markers, not objects, only
references are stored in the content ) and render them by applying their
'call_view' skins  to the embedded object. NeoPortal content embedding
works like OLE. Inline commenting capability  common to all document-ish
NeoPortal Content Objects is one good example of how NeoPortal content
embedding works.
    
    Another method 'iconizeNeoPortalContent' is available to all
NeoPortal content classes that inherit the 'NeoPortalIconizableContent'
mix-in class. As its name implies, **NeoPortal Iconizable Content** turn
simple text notations into graphic icons, emoticons, for example::
    
        ':-)' becomes a smiling icon ( :-) ) when rendered.
    
    Content cookers can be easily created. Only your imagination is the
limit.

    A NeoPortal Content Object, when being saved, refers to the
'_np_renderers' Class property to get its list of renderers. For
example::

        _np_renderers = ['_insertInlineCommentFormMarker',
'_cookContent', \
                        '_renderInlineComments',
'_renderEmbeddedObjects', \
                        'iconizeNeoPortalContent']

    The above is the default list of NeoPortal Content ( NP_Content.py
). The '_getNeoPortalContentRenderers' method should be used to get this
property.

    Simply call '_updateNeoPortalContent' method and these renderers
will be called in the defined order. If you want to skip a specific
renderer you may directly call the '_renderNeoPortalContent' method with
the new list of renders::

        _renderNeoPortalContent( content=None, renderers=None, **kw )

    The '_renderNeoPortalContent' method pushes the content (
self.getRawNeoPortalContent() is called when the 'content' argument is
None ) through the list of the defined renders and return the rendered
content.

    The '_updateNeoPortalContent' method internall calls the
'_renderNeoPortalContent' to set the cooked_text value::
    
        self.cooked_text = self._renderNeoPortalContent()

    Note the '_renderNeoPortalContent' method's '**kw' arguments. All
renderers may define their own set of arguements. For instance,
'_renderInlineComments' method defined in
'NeoPortalInlineCommentableContent' class accepts 'view_comment'
argument which is used to filter out inline comments based on the
argument's value: 0 for removing all comments or a certain creator's
name to view only his comments::

        _renderInlineComments( content, creator=None, REQUEST=None, **kw
)

Object Embedding

    Document-like types can embed other objects. Embedded objects are
rendered automatically in embedding object's view. Any changes in
embedded objects are automatically updated in embedding object's view.
Even inline comments can embed and render other objects; NeoPortal
object embedding follows the rules of acquisition.
    
    Embeddable objects must provide a view named 'call_view'. For
instance. NeoPortal Document comes with a call_view template
'call_doc.pt', which returns only the rendered content without any HTML
or site headers.

    Embedding syntax is pretty simple:
    
    - __(id)__        # two underscores + opening '(' + the id of the
object to embed +closing ')' + two underscores
        
    - __(image_1)__   # embeds an object whose id is 'image_1'

    Requested objects get rendered with their 'call_view' templates or
replaced with the following error messages.
    
    - __(REQUESTED_OBJECT_DOES_NOT_SUPPORT_EMBEDDING: image_1)__
# not NeoPortal Content Type objects 
    
    - __(CANNOT_EMBED_UNAUTHORIZED_OBJECT_IN_THIS_CONTEXT: image_1)__
# pure authorization errors
    
    - __(CANNOT_CROSS_EMBED: page_1)__
# page_1 alread embeded the current object; might fall into an infinite
loop
    
    - __(NOT_AUTHRIZED_TO_EMBED_REQUESTED_OBJECT_IN_THIS_CONTEXT:
image_1)__  # not owner of the object and it's not published 
    
    - __(REQUESTED_OBJECT_DOES_NOT_SUPPORT_EMBEDDING_NO_CALL_VIEW:
image_1)__ # NeoPortal Content Type objects but no call views found
    
    - __(REQUESTED_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND: image_1)__
# not found     
        
    
    These error messages are only saved in the rendered ( cached )
content of the object. When embedded objects become available and you
re-edit the embedding object, their call views will get rendered into
the embedding object's cached content storage: 'cooked_text'. 
    
    NeoBoard Articles also inherit from the NeoPortalEmbeddableContent
class: an article can embed its attachments, for example, to render
their 'call views' anywhere in the article body.
    
Inline Commenting

    Document-like types are inline-commentable. Backtalk like inline
comments can be added and users can view only selected commentor's
comments ( works like MS-Word's annotations ) or can choose to view or
not to view all the comments on the fly.
    
    When a user chooese not to view comments or to view only a certain
person's commments, NeoPortal Content Objects re-render their content
instead of resorting to their content caching machinery.
    
IP-based Spam Blocking

    Document-like types are spam-blockable. IP-based spam blocking
prevents duplicate postings in a given interval from the same IP
address. One can't comment on an article twice in less than 10 seconds,
for example, to prevent DOS-like malicious duplicate postings.

IP-based Daily Access Log

    IP-based access logs are saved in a special container inside a
NeoPortal Content Object and the container is purgeable by a given
interval. Logs are viewable via 'log' object tab.
    
Content Rating

    All NeoPortal Content Types are ratable. The max and min rating
values can be changed via the 'np_options' object tab.
    
    Only one rating value can be stored from a single IP address: that
is, one can't rate the same content twice but can change his/her rating
value by rating the content again with a different value.
    
New Discussion Tool

    NeoBoard gets instantiated instead of the stock CMF discussion
container when discussion gets activated for a NeoPortal Content Object.
Users can enjoy all the bells and whistles NeoBoard comes with. 
    
    When discussion is enabled, an object tab labeled 'discussion'
appears and clicking the tab leads to the NeoBoard instance.
    
    A list of articles also appear at the bottom of the object's view if
one or more articles found.
    
    Note that NeoPortal Element Types cannot have their own discussion
boards. They make use of their container's discussion board. ( It seemed
awful lot of waste for every element to have its own NeoBoard instance.
One board for a container should suffice. )

       
All options can be toggled on and off via 'np_options' object tab

Common Features for NeoPortal Advanced Content Types        

    As of version 0.9a, NeoPortal Advanced Content Types come with the
following common features.
    
    DTML Handling
    
        Document-like types can render DTML tags in a given context.
        
    dtmlDescription Method
    
        All NeoPortal Advanced Content Types defines a method
'dtmlDescription' that returns the 'description' attribute value after
rendering any DTML tags found in it.
    
Advanced Features for Container Types

    NeoPortal Containers give NeoPortal Elements sequenceable id's at
the time of their addition. Any given id's via Elements' contructor
methods are ignored unless the 'no_id_check' argument is set to true
when calling '_setObject'. In addition, NeoPortal Containers can
re-number its Elements' id's if needed and navigation menus are
automatically set up in a container view.
    
    We can make use of this automatic-ordering feature of a NeoPortal
Container to make a photo album in a few seconds, for example: just add
any number of NeoPortal Images into a NeoPortal Article. That's your
photo album.
    
    NeoPortal External Files can be created in a batch inside a
NeoPortal Container. For instance, a member can upload a set of image
files to a directory under authorized file bases and import them as
NeoPortal External Files. One can even add all the files found in
subdirectories.

NeoPortal External File Security

    You can set authorized file bases inside a file called
'file_bases.props' that resides in the 'data' directory under the
NeoPortal Library package directory::
    
        NeoPortalLibrary/
                        /data/file_bases.props
                        
                    
        # filepath bases - multiple bases allowed
        # unused bases may be commented out
        # zero base means you'll allow any directory depending on Zope
user's file permissions
        #/home/ZopeHome/archives for unix/linux
        #\\ZopeHime for windows
    
    For example, if you set '/home/ZopeHome/archives' as the only
authorized file base inside this file, members cannot set file paths of
their NeoPortal External Files above this file base::
    
        authorized file path: /home/Zopehome/archives/cool_images.zip
        
        unauthorized file path: /home/cool_images.zip

NeoPortal Tools

    As of version 0.9a, NeoPortal Content Pak comes with thre distinct
NeoPortal Tools: NeoPortal External Access Tool, NeoPortal Discussion
Tool and NeoPortal Properties Tool.
    
    NeoPortal External Access Tool
    
        NeoPortal External Access Tool makes it possible to access
worlds outside of Zope: filesystem, RDBMS, for example.
        
        As of version 0.9a, only filesystem can be accessed via
NeoPortal External Files.
        
    NeoPortal Discussion Tool
    
        NeoPortal Discussion Tool allows NeoPortal Content Types to have
NeoBoard instances as discussion container instead of CMF's stock
discussion items container.
        
        NeoBoard instance gets instantiated when an owner/manager of an
instance turns on the 'Allow Content Discussion' option.
    
    NeoPortal Properties Tool
    
        NeoPortal Properties Tool allows for site-wide configuration of
NeoPortal Content Type options. Inidividual instances may override this
site-wide configuration by setting their own values.

Setting Content Type Options

    Zope's acquisition rules also apply to NeoPortal Content Types: an
instance can set its properties individually or acquire them from its
parent by context. 
    
    Site-wide configuration is possible with the NeoPortal Properties
Tool.

Automatic Upgrade

    Old NeoPortal Content Pak instances can detect updated NeoPortal
classes when you install a newer version of NeoPortal Content Pak.
    
    Upgrading from previous versions of products has never been easier:
a click-and-go upgrade.

i18n

    NeoPortal Content Pak has been built with i18n in mind since day
one. 
    
    See the 'i18n.txt' in the NeoPortal Library package directory for
more info on how to activate the i18n machinery.
    
    Note that all internal messages NeoPortal Content Pak spews out go
into a 'neoportal' domain message catalog. You should have a message
catalog with 'neoportal' domain for this to work.

Known Bugs

    If you embed references to other objects when **creating**
document-like content, do not change the name (id) of the content
object.
    
    NeoPortal Embedding System renders the references in the 'current'
context, which gets changed when you rename the context.
    
    It's a minor issue and easily correctible by re-saving (re-editing)
the content.
    
    It's not a bug, but NeoPortal News Items won't show up in your
recent news box slot. If you want them to appear in the box, edit the
'news.pt' Plone skin::
    
        results1 python:container.portal_catalog(meta_type='News Item',
\
        sort_on='created',
sort_order='reverse',review_state='published');
        results2 python:container.portal_catalog(meta_type='NeoPortal
News Item', \
        sort_on='created',
sort_order='reverse',review_state='published');
        results3 python:container.portal_catalog(meta_type='NeoPortal
Advanced News Item', \
        sort_on='created',
sort_order='reverse',review_state='published');
        results python: results1 + results2 + results3;

---------------------------------------------------------------
  To the dedicated staff at NeoQuest, language is not a problem
      to be dealt with, but an art waiting to be performed.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Wankyou Choi
CEO/President
NeoQuest Communications, Inc.
3rd Floor, HMC Bldg., 730-14, Yoksam-dong, Kangnam-gu
Seoul, Korea
Tel: 82-2 - 501 - 7124 Fax: 82-2-501-7058
Corporate Home: http://www.neoqst.com
Personal  Home: http://www.zoper.net, http://www.neoboard.net
e-mail:   wankyu@neoqst.com
---------------------------------------------------------------