[xwiki-devs] [Proposal] Improve Wiki Administration

[Vincent Massol]

On Mar 17, 2008, at 8:25 PM, Jean-Vincent Drean wrote:

> On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 7:20 PM, Vincent Massol <vincent at massol.net>  
> wrote:
>>>
>>> * new XWiki.WebHome : direct links (with big icons) to admin
>>> categories (a la Windows control panel)
>>> * A main administration sheet : XWiki.AdministrationSheet (may be
>>> with cascading admin sheets beyond)
>>> * Inclusion of XWiki.AdministrationSheet in XWikiPreferences (global
>>> prefs)
>>> * Inclusion of XWiki.AdministrationSheet in all WebPreferences  
>>> (quick
>>> access to space admin)
>>
>> I think we must have the admin features (at least some of them) even
>> if the database is empty... Like import/export at the very minimum ;)
>>
>
> Of course we will have to provide the import feature in a template.
> I'd even see a minimalistic initialimport.vm template included
> (instead of contentview.vm) by view.vm if there's no pages in the
> database.

After talking to JV I think we should have an Administration  
application (XAR) bundled in the xwiki WAR and that is imported on the  
first execution, at the same time as we the installation wizard would  
run. The wizard should offer 3 screens:
S1) Database configuration page
S2) Admin user creation
S3) Application import

In S3 we would automatically import the Administration application +  
propose to the user to install other application (like the default XE  
XAR for example).

This would ensure that a xwiki instance will always have the  
administration pages available.

WDYT?

Thanks
-Vincent

>>> Questions :
>>>
>>> * Do we add an "Administration" entry in the top menu bar ? With 2
>>> dropdown items :
>>> ** current space administration
>>> ** wiki administration
>>
>> You mean to replace the current Administration link?
>>
>
> Yes.
>
>>
>>> * Do we really need the "big icons" page (since all the categories
>>> are available from the left column) ?
>>
>> If we decided not to have the icons then we need a welcome page  
>> rather
>> than going directly to the first admin configuration page. And on  
>> that
>> page we must list all admin features and explain what they configure
>> so that the user doesn't have to try them all before finding the one
>> he wants. So we might as well have some icons on that page IMO.
>>
>
> After thinking twice (thanks Vincent ;) I think that it's a good thing
> to have this "big icons" screen :
> * Faster access to the admin features since this page is more likely
> to load fast than the first "general" section of the admin.
> * Having visual marks is a good thing.
> * It's shiny :)
>
> JV.