Re: Thoughts on the way to school...

Hi Dave

I'll need a little time to chew on everything you've said (particularly 
the bits about scripting).  But the xml format you propose would already 
help a great deal.  I've got a few suggestions pending but I want to 
think them through first.  In particular, my instinct is to separate out 
the basic Q & A info and the statistical info.  But as you say, I'll 
need to provide some concrete suggestions.  Realistically, I'll only be 
able to do this over the weekend.

Another advantage of using xml, is that it would be very easy to support 
(x)html formatting.  This would be particularly useful because I find it 
very helpful to provide contextual clues in my questions.  For example, 
I use a separate colour for each of my eight subjects so that I 
instantly know what sort of question I am dealing with - this is 
important because the same term has different meanings in different 
areas of law.  I would also like to, for example, put the subject and 
unit information for each question in the top-right hand corner of the 
question textbox.  xml + html gives this for free.

Until later,

Regards,

Richard

David Calinski wrote:

>On Sunday 12 of October 2003 01:21, Richard in Public wrote:
>  
>
>>1.  If memaid imported/exported xml then I could make use of the wide
>>range of existing xml-aware tools - editors, databases, xsl2html
>>transforms, etc.
>>    
>>
>
>There can be another solution: you can add in 'memaid' script (it normally 
>runs before real binary, see src/extras/memaid, makes a back-up copy of 
>elements.txt, calls memaid with some arguments) 
>call to any other script(s) that will run before and/or after real memaid 
>binary (I believe Bruno uses something like this).
>
>This way you, or anyone, can for example code import/export to XML - it would 
>look like memaid uses XML format, but the work would be really transparently 
>done by an external script.
>It has some advantages:
>- memaid itself is not bloated with more code
>- anyone can easily modify script for own needs (it's not that easy with 
>modifying c sources and compiling them).
>
> 
>(I think KMemAid doesn't use this approach though - doesn't use a script to 
>call it, make a back-up, etc. I was thinking strictly about 'memaid' package 
>here, but similar script could be done for kmemaid too, anyways.)
>
>On the other hand: if more people will want XML bult-in - then it really 
>should be in core.
>
>  
>
>> The format of the memaid .txt files is so close to xml
>>anyway, although I accept your point with respect to Joe User.  I regret
>>my use of the word proprietary - what I wanted to express was that
>>memaid exports to an independant syntax rather than an available one
>>(i.e. xml). It is not so much a case of getting the data out into xml,
>>but of getting my data in.
>>    
>>
>
>Hm. I believe converter from XML to element.txt should be as easy to make as 
>from elements.txt to XML.
>
>  
>
>> I need to organize my data hierarchically as
>>there is so much of it - the flat list of items provided by the KMemAid
>>interface is quite difficult for me to work with.
>>    
>>
>
>You mean 'export.txt' and simple Q/A format?
>Then please tell me how you think it should look like - how you would like it 
>to be.
>I coded it in the simplest and fastest way I could (and not only this one) - 
>but I have never used this feature at all, so I am open for any suggestions 
>from people who do use it and want it changed.
>
>But instead of "it should be changed because it's bad" I would appreciate 
>specific suggestions - how it should look like, how would be fine with 
>you. :)
>
>Is XML format, lets say:
>
><element>
><question>A question here...</question>
><answer>An answer here...</answer>
><element>
>
><element>
><question>Question of another element...</quostion>
><answer>blah blah</answer>
></element>
>
>...
>
>okay for "export" feature and queue.txt?
>
>
>  
>
>> If I could import xml
>>then I could use a range of tools to create and manipulate the data and
>>then simply pass in into KMemAid for repetitions.
>>    
>>
>
>I have just wondered why not edit data in KMemAid itself - just checked 
>KMemAid and now I see it doesn't allow editing elements on-the-fly while 
>making repetitions...
>In MemAid you can (since few releases) correct element data (text of question/
>answer) while making repetition, finall drill, or anything.
>
>
>  
>
>>3.  I'm sorry if I gave offence in the snippet below - I didn't mean to
>>imply some dictatorial ambition on your part, whereby I expected to
>>receive a pay-or-lose-your-data ultimatum!  
>>    
>>
>
>It's ok, I have taken it with some humour. :)
>
>  
>
>>If I store my items in xml I
>>can both use KMemAid and format the data using XSLT into 'notes' for
>>studying purposes.  If I have to move my data between memaid's format
>>and other formats then normalizing becomes a nightmare.
>>    
>>
>
>Right!
>
>  
>
>>(...) My frustrations arise
>>because I desparately want to use Memaid but, as I say, find it
>>difficult to manage large quantities of information in the available
>>formats.
>>    
>>
>
>Please tell me then which files format should be changed (or additional format 
>by script(s) should be provided) and how should new format look like.
>I proposed XML format for element.txt and queue.txt somewhere above.
>
>Now about elements.txt (or maybe elements.xml provided by external script I 
>can write):
>
><element>
><question>a question here</question>
><answer>an answer here</answer>
><time_to_repeat>155</time_to_repeat>
><last_interval>3</last_interval>
><real_last_interval>3</real_last_interval>
><interval>5</interval>
><repetitions>9</repetitions>
><grade>3</grade>
></element>
>
>would be ok?
>
>Dave
>
>
>
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>  
>



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