Public SourceMage Discussion List

[Tom Garland <tgarland AT email.com>]

Conversation between toga and Bernardo on Sept. 7, 2002.


<toga> OK, I'm throughly disgusted with how submitted spells are not handled
very well. I am willing, hopefully with some help, such as a kde and a gnome
person to clean-up and try to get it so submitted spells get the attention
they need. I think that submitted spells should have their own permanent
list/status in the wiki to start with. 
<Bernardo> toga: If I just had the guarantee I would have time, I'd offer
myself... I can test some kde spells, but don't have much more time.
<toga> Thanks Bernardo, I'm just throwing this out right now to see what I
can get going ;)
<toga> A way to handle submitted spells in a more consistent way.
<Bernardo> The bugzilla "solution" for submitted isn't working...
<Bernardo> I know I have submitted a few spells (only to the mailing list)
that haven't made it to the grimoire, despite working well (afaik)
<toga> I know, this is what I want to fix, such as 'Get submitted [section]'
will get a list of submitted spells and a team to handle them all.
<toga> I'll start with a team of one (me) ;)
<Bernardo> toga, first we need to have a "consistent and track able" way of
submitting spells. Bugzilla is one approach, but I don't think it should be
the bug reporting one.
<Bernardo> Maybe a second Bugzilla, just for new spells?
<Bernardo> that would keep things separated, a guru could get a spell
assigned to him when he was testing/adding it to the grimoire
<toga> I think logically/internally handling SS (submitted spells) the same
as the grimoire/codex makes sense. Even with the possibility of casting from
that list (SS).
<Bernardo> you lost me there
<toga> Like it's another source for spells, but for testing/submission only.
<toga> Real bleeding edge.
<toga> That way anyone interested could test too.
<Bernardo> a second codex? That would require enabling multiple codexes,
which afaik isn't finished/tested yet, right?
<Bernardo> That would allow testing by everyone, but wouldn't be
accountable.
<Bernardo> I think a source control system should be used for spells,
lacking that a bugzilla system would be good.
<toga> Don't know the status of that, but more like a a forth grimoire/codex,
stable, test, devel and submitted,
<toga> Part of the flat codex I think
<Bernardo> flipsidejones: is there a flat codex already?
<Bernardo> toga: the reason I am insisting so in accountability, is that
spells just don't sit on the submission queue for ages...
<toga> cast a spell looks at stable>test>devel>submitted if you are useing
devel. Stops at test if your using test, etc.
<toga> Bernardo: I agree, I'm willing to lead the effort and team to do it.
* toga has seen too many spells fall by the wayside :(
* Bernardo knows that feeling
<Bernardo> yes, but you need to have a way to control if a spell has been
forgotten, or is just being edited because of some problem
<toga> Any submitted spell will ALWAYS be in the list, all will have a
status.
<toga> Never forgotten, come back a year after it was submitted and anyone
could pick it up and run with it.
<toga> Any accepted spell fall off of the list.
<Bernardo> toga, if you use bugzilla or somesuch, you can guarantee that.
otherwise, just a lost email can mess things up.
<toga> Flag in config says if you want to look in submitted for spells. 
<toga> Bernardo: It's all in the SS, handled as part of the codex. 
<Bernardo> OK, ss it is, but a simple way to submit, for guys that never use
cvs? :-)
<toga> To start with though, I am willing to use the wiki for now as a
temporary measure.
<toga> Still use spell-submit, Me or my hopefully team will pick them up
from there.
<Bernardo> what I think we need is a form that accepts a tarball, a
description, and the author's email, and puts that on a "processing queue"
<Bernardo> then, we can add it to the wiki, to cvs, or what you feel is
better.
<toga> That can be worked out later, I'm trying to get something working
asap as a foot in the door so to speak. 
<Bernardo> ok... Then why not bugzilla? it is there, working.
<toga> Could still use it too. I'm willing to check it everyday also.
<Bernardo> I still think that a grimoire team bugzilla could be the best
starting point as the "spell depot". A user/spell writer could check and see
what is happening with the spell he sent
<toga> Bernardo: That's the goal, but can't do it in a day ;)
<Bernardo> toga: I don't know, having never set up  bugzilla myself. But
what would cost us to have a second bugzilla running from a
www.sourcemage.org link? How much time, and who could set it up?


The Bernardo and toga team ;)

Please carry on this thread here and irc. We need to get something
going before the 1.0 release, the sooner the better. 

Have Fun! toga