ToDo list, UCL

Dear all,

Here is the latest version of our ToDo lists, to make Zope and Plone fully functional as far as UCL requirements are concerned. We would be very happy to collaborate with other interested parties, in terms of:

- exchanging ideas, tips, pitfalls, suggestions;
- sharing resources (staff time for the internal list, funds for the external one);
- applying for funding as a collaborative project.

INTERNAL (things that we will do in house):

1. Create new roles. Before the new Zope/Plone service starts, we will decide which new roles we need and what/where they will be permitted to do. Obvious ones are: student (maybe differentiating UG and PG?); academic (i.e. professors and associate professors); administrator; committee member; reviewer. We will produce a document with details of the roles and their permissions. Exchanging ideas about this would help :-)

2. Authentication. When the new servers are in place (June?), we will want to install Zope and have current users of the UCL email system be entered in the roles created in 1 above, automatically as far as possible when current email groupings mirror the ones created in Zope. Again, exchanging ideas would help, especially with others who have done this already.

3. Migration. Migrating existing pilot sites from their current servers to central servers. this involves playing with data.fs, and we have no idea how to do it yet.

4. Archetypes. Produce new types for proposal forms for new degree programmes and courses, allowing their partial display on the web as programme specifications (a QAA requirement in the UK). These will need a workflow reflecting four distinct levels of approval: Department, External, Faculty and University. I know how to do the forms, less clear about the workflow.

EXTERNAL (things we might pay consultants to do for us).

1. Visual editor. We wan to integrate a good visual editor in Plone. Bristol Uni are also considering this. After a meeting with Alexander Limi, it is clear that at least three options exist (CMFVisualEditor, EditPro, and htmlArea).

2. Scripts to process the input from some TTWTypes forms (student feedback, for example).

3. An XML-based interface (SOAP-like) between Plone and our main ODBC databases (student records, HR records).

4. Versioning. Develop PloneStaging to suit our needs (that is, with version control of reports on collaborative projects and the work of university working parties).

5. Implement Topic Maps (see http://www.itu.no/ for an example: click the bredband link, low on the right). That could be very useful for visitors, particularly people interested in projects, to find their way in a rather complex organisation.

6. Developing a VLE or MLE from Plone. Very open ended for now.

Any comments welcome.

Marco


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Marco Federighi
Sub-Dean of Engineering, University College London
Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE
Phone: +44 20 7679 3911 (direct line)