Re: [xwiki-devs] [Gsoc -- 2009] Questions concerning the Import Export from any other Wiki Project

Hello, I now have a good understanding of existing works regarding Parser and Renderer for differents wiki syntax within wikiModel. I am coming with some new questions. Does Xwiki provide some kind of API for retrieving a remonte page from another wiki just like using XWikiXmlRpcClient to copy Xwiki Pages ( I followed some previous discussion about Xwiki Batch).

Use Case 1: User provide URL to a wiki page in another wiki and press the export button. The expected result would be : a) the source wiki provide an export tools then we can use this tools to export b) the source wiki does not provide an export tools then in this case we have to find a way to export After exporting we need to get the remote page and then wikiModel API in order to parse and convert into a proper format to the destination wiki.

Use Case 2: The user provide an exported XML from a destination wiki. In this no problem with retrieving remotely the page.

Are they anything wrong with this approach ? Many thanks

Regards, Keerthan 2009/3/31 Keerthan MUTHURASA &lt;muthurasa.keerthan(a)gmail.com&gt; > Hello Guillaume, > > Thanks a lot for your quick answer. > > 2009/3/31 Guillaume Lerouge &lt;guillaume(a)xwiki.com&gt; > > Hi Keerthan, >> >> On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 1:21 AM, Keerthan MUTHURASA < >> muthurasa.keerthan(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: >> >>> Hello, >>> >>> Many thanks for all these helpfull details. >>> >>> 2009/3/30 Guillaume Lerouge &lt;guillaume(a)xwiki.com&gt; >>> >>>> Hi Keerthan, >>>> >>>> thanks for your interest in XWiki & the GSoC. I'll try answering >>>> some >> of >>>> your questions below. >>> >>> >>>> On Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 9:30 PM, Keerthan MUTHURASA < >>>> muthurasa.keerthan(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hello, >>>>> >>>>> I am Keerthan Muthurasa , Msc Software Engineering student at >>>>> Oxford >>>>> Brookes >>>>> University , I am interested on >>>>> doing a project for xwiki. >>>>> >>>>> I would like to discuss about my ideas for the "Import Export >>>>> from >> any >>>>> other >>>>> Wiki Project" and if you could in return give me your opinions >>>>> that would be really helpfull for me. >>>>> This is the project requirement : >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >>

>>>>> Import Export from any other >>>>> Wiki< >>>>> >>>> >>> >>

>>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Create a extensible framework to import export data between >>>>> wikis. >>> This >>>>> should handle converting the data in the pages including >>>>> links between pages and metadata as well as direct access to the >> data >>>>> through either a web service (prefered) or database or the >>>>> file system >>>>> >>>>> The system should at least for MediaWiki and Confluence in import >> mode >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >>

>>>>> >>>>> I will begin with some questions: >>>>> >>>>> * What does it mean when talking about converting links between >> pages ( >>>> we >>>>> are talking about converting internal links in the source wiki >>>>> isn >> it >>> ?, >>>>> That's mean when importing or exporting data we should think >>>>> about >>>>> exporting >>>>> or importing the linked data as well in order to keep an >>>>> integrity). >>>> >>>> >>>> Indeed. Most of the time, the use case will be to import a full >>>> wiki >>> rather >>>> than subparts, thus links would be preserved. If you want to let >>>> users >>>> import/export only subarts of a wiki (such as a space or a single >> page), >>>> you >>>> should provide them with a warning that some links will be broken >> rather >>>> than trying to import all pages that are linked to. Or you could >>>> make >>>> importing liked to pages an option. It could result in surprised >>>> users >> if >>>> someone tries to export / import one page and ends up with the 76 >> pages >>>> that >>>> page linked / was linked to ;-) >>> >>> >>> I understand, I will keep in mind these details. >>> >>> >>>> >>>> Since the most common use case is to import a full wiki, it >>>> shouldn't >> be >>>> much of an issue. >>>> >>>>> * What does it mean when talking about exporting metadata ,direct >>> access >>>> to >>>>> data through either a web service or database or file system ? >>>> >>>> >>>> Some metadata can be conserved across systems. For instance, the >>>> date >>> when >>>> the page was created, its edition date and its previous versions >>>> might >>> need >>>> to be preserved (if that's technically feasible). Thus it >>>> basically >> means >>>> taking care of all the information associated with the page >>>> other than >>> its >>>> content. >>>> >>>>> Here my idea for the project , if I can have some feedback it >>>>> would >> be >>>>> helpfull for me: >>>>> >>>>> When exporting or importing data from a given wiki to a >>>> destionation >>>>> one >>>>> Setp 1: get rid of all specific synthax proper to the >>>>> source >>> wiki >>>>> and retrieve data,metadata, and other usefull information.This >>>>> can >> be >>>>> achieved >>>>> using a kind of parser whose job is to scan the >>> source >>>>> page and reconize the specific synthax and only retrieve proper >>>>> data.Concerning encountered links ,we should >>>>> convert theses pages as well but we have to be >>> carefull >>>>> when cross linked ( for instance we are converting page A and A >> links >>> to >>>> B >>>>> but when >>>>> converting B ,B links to A). >>>> >>>> >>>> You could start by looking at the XWiki 2.0 syntax and see >>>> everything >> it >>>> allows. I think that when trying to convert pages from other wikis >>>> (specifically Confluence) you will run in the following issue: >>>> some >> pages >>>> use macros that are defined elsewhere on the system and won't work >>>> correctly >>>> when imported in XWiki. >>> >>> >>> I already had a look at Xwiki 2.0 syntax. >>> >>> >>>> For pure content, you should be able to import it all in XWiki >>>> without >>> much >>>> of a problem. For content generated by a script, you could try to >>> identify >>>> it and then issue warnings in your output such as "this is >>>> specific >>> content >>>> that couldn't be converted". >>>> See my answer above about retrieving the content of linked to >>>> pages. >>> >>> >>> I had a look at some of the previous threads in the mailling list >> regarding >>> import / export feature. >>> >>> >>>> >>>>> Step 2: adopt a datacentric approach to properly store data >> in a >>>>> such a way that is easy to retrieve them.We have to be carefull >>>>> when >>>>> storing >>>>> data >>>>> since they have to keep the original pages >> structure. >>>> >>>> >>>> Have you already looked at the content of a MediaWiki, >>>> Confluence and >>> XWiki >>>> export file? >>> >>> >>> Nop, I did not but I had a litle idea about the format since >>> several >>> parsers ( XWikiParser , MediaWikiParser ...) are dealing with DOM. >>> Where Can I get these differents exported files ? What is the >>> usual case >>> when getting this files ? Are we using any export utilities from >>> the >> source >>> wiki in order to get an xml format file ? I will investigate on >>> that for >>> MediaWiki and Confluence. >>> >>> You can download Confluence from this page: >> >>

>> install it locally and play with it a bit. You could specifically >> give >> a >> look to http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Confluence+to+XML >> . >> Similar documentation is probably available from MediaWiki as well >> but >> you'll have to look it up by yourself ;-) >> > > Thanks a lot I am having a look at MediaWIki Export format.I will > setup > Confluence as well. > > >> >>>> In XWiki's case, data is stored in a XML format. It might be >>>> the same for Confluence & MediaWiki. If it is, you might be able >>>> to >> use >>>> XSLT >>>> to convert one XML format to another. >>>> >>> >>> I had a look at some of your previous discussion concerning the >>> export / >>> import feactures. >>> If I properly understood: >>> >>> XWikiParser => Transform XWiki format text into a DOM >>> representation >>> MediaWikiRenderer => Render a MediaWiki format text from a DOM >>> representation >>> MediaWikiParser => Transform MediaWiki format text into a DOM >>> representation >>> XWikiRenderer => Render a XWiki format text from a DOM >>> representation >>> >>> Using the same idea it's possible to do the same think for any >>> other >> wikis >>> if we aware of this wiki's syntax. >>> >>> Within the wikiModel I found some references to >>> org.wikimodel.wem.xwiki.XWikiParser >>> org.wikimodel.wem.mediawiki.MediaWikiParser >>> org.wikimodel.wem.jspwiki.JspWikiParser >>> org.wikimodel.wem.creole.CreoleWikiParser >>> >>> Where can I find the source code for these elements ? >> >> >> http://code.google.com/p/wikimodel/source/browse/#svn/trunk/ >> org.wikimodel.wem/src/main/java/org/wikimodel/wem/xwiki >> > > Great , I just had a look at the source code and I am delighted to > see that > it's exactly what I have been doing during these last 3 month as > part of Compiler Construction Code with professor *Hanspeter > Mössenböck*.I > wrote a compiler for a simplifier java looks like language. > The idea is more or less the same here, > I will give more details about how I plan to do it in my proposal. > > >> >> >>> There were some issues concerning incompatible syntax between >>> wikis in >> the >>> discussion.Specially >>> issues concerning syntax that can exist in some wiki and does not >>> exist >> on >>> other.(Example of confluence that is quite restrictive ,macro >>> problem as >>> refered by Guillaume). Are they any solutions found for this kind >>> of >> issues >>> or should you just warn that some information will be ommited ? >> >> >> I think that trying to convert everything is too idealistic. In >> the case >> of >> the Office Importer, content that cannot be converted properly is >> stripped >> and warnings are issued for unsupported macros for instance. I'll >> let >> Asiri >> tell you more about the Office Importer conversion behavior if >> needed. >> > > It could be helpfull for me if I could have some feedback from Asiri. > > >> >>> As far as I can see there are works already done for export / >>> import >>> feature >>> so what's wrong with the existing work ? There are a lot of changes >>> betweeen >>> xWiki 1.0 and 2.0 syntax.I guess XWikiParser and XWikiRenderer >>> has been >>> modified according to these changes ? >> >> >> XWiki 1.0 syntax was using the Radeox parser while XWiki 2.0 >> syntax is >> using >> WikiModel. You would definitely be working with WikiModel a lot, >> improving >> WikiModel's Confluence & MediaWiki syntax parsers so that they can >> eventually issue XDOM elements. > > > alright > > >> >> >>> To finish with my long list of questions ( sorry about that , I >>> am just >>> trying to understand the existing work), Can I have an use case for >>> importing data from Confluence to xWiki ? ( from getting input >>> data file >> to >>> expected result in xWiki). >> >> You can get an input file from the Confluence instance you will have >> installed on your machine. You can also give a look to XE 1.8 >> default XAR >> (available to download from XWiki.org) to see what the expected >> result >> looks >> like > > > thank you Guillaume. > Keerthan > > . >> Guillaume >> >> >>> Many thanks again for your answer. >>> >>> Best regards, >>> Keerthan Muthurasa >>> Msc Software Engineering, >>> School of Technology, >>> Oxford Brookes University >>> >>>> >>>>> Step 3: use previously retrieved data to create the result >> page >>> in >>>>> the destination wiki using the wiki specific synthax for >>>>> destination >>>> wiki. >>>> >>>> >>>> See my answer above. >>>> >>>>> I am having a look at wikiModel that seems to contain a >>>>> parser.I am >>> also >>>>> trying to understand Plexus. >>>>> >>>>> A Many thanks for your advices. >>>> >>>> Hope this helps, >>>> Guillaume >>>> >>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> Keerthan Muthurasa >>>>> ____________________