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"Phrase library / XML data island" functionality with Teamsite?

Frederik

Hi devnetters!

Not sure under what forum to put this, anyway...

Our users are asking for some sort of "phrase library" functionality, so that they can have fixed short phrases in a central location, to use in various texts.

Specifically, they are maintaining 3 websites, each in 20 locales, where several pages are saying things like "... present in 50 countries, with 150 offices ...". Every few months, these numbers change a bit, and to have it correct, they have to change several pages per locale. The whole process of looking for what to update, and doing the "edit form + generate + validate + submit" is too unpleasant.

Right now, they've created a solution without involving us, developers, with an XML data island technique (w3schools explanation). Unfortunately, (they didn't notice that) this only works in Internet Explorer.

So, now they're wondering if we have an alternative solution.

Looking at the benefits of the XML data island:
- central 'library' of phrases/words/numbers - easy to update
- run-time inclusion of library elements - global effect of central update
- no regenerates necessary (of the texts that use library elements)
- only 1 file to redeploy (the .xml data)

I can think of only a few approaches at the moment - none of which really has the same benefits:

(1) let them write "codes" like __NUMBER_OF_COUNTRIES__ in the DCR, and then we would parse the texts as part of the form generation and do a replace. But this would still require to regenerate all DCR involved (manually or somehow automated) + submits etc.
(2) same codes as in (1), but do a rewrite as a post-deploy task. Messy (changes the 'compare based' deploy dynamics) and risky (if the task doesn't complete).
(3) keep the xml data island, use more javascripting in the pages, to overcome the browser difference. Sorta 'AJAX' approach to updating text in the page. Messy (lotsa scripting for a text-based problem) and risky (if JS is disabled).

I'd love to hear your ideas...

Thanks for sharing,
Frederik.

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nipper

Not a lot of great ideas. This is more an applications server issue that a WCM issue.

Your choices are server side includes (great for top nav, left nav, etc, likely not right for your issue) or a smart server that can substitute values for variables. In that case one could use ASP/JSP possibly some JS (though the traffic that would create may be bad) to read a file/DB and substitute the values.

If this MUST be solved via TS, then I would set up a perl module with a set of constants. This could be generated via a TST so the users can change it. You would also need to code in your WF a reference list (I use EAs, usually for referenced images) of the DCRs/pages that use said variables. Then the WF could attach all DCRs, regen everything and deploy.

Finally you could have a complex DNR script if you just push this XML file, that could regex the old value (with a variable in the comment for a reference in the HTML). Very brute force, but also effective.

HTH

Andy

graf.JPG

ISCBorisB

Hi devnetters!

Not sure under what forum to put this, anyway...

Our users are asking for some sort of "phrase library" functionality, so that they can have fixed short phrases in a central location, to use in various texts.

Specifically, they are maintaining 3 websites, each in 20 locales, where several pages are saying things like "... present in 50 countries, with 150 offices ...". Every few months, these numbers change a bit, and to have it correct, they have to change several pages per locale. The whole process of looking for what to update, and doing the "edit form + generate + validate + submit" is too unpleasant.

Right now, they've created a solution without involving us, developers, with an XML data island technique (w3schools explanation). Unfortunately, (they didn't notice that) this only works in Internet Explorer.

So, now they're wondering if we have an alternative solution.

Looking at the benefits of the XML data island:
- central 'library' of phrases/words/numbers - easy to update
- run-time inclusion of library elements - global effect of central update
- no regenerates necessary (of the texts that use library elements)
- only 1 file to redeploy (the .xml data)

I can think of only a few approaches at the moment - none of which really has the same benefits:

(1) let them write "codes" like __NUMBER_OF_COUNTRIES__ in the DCR, and then we would parse the texts as part of the form generation and do a replace. But this would still require to regenerate all DCR involved (manually or somehow automated) + submits etc.
(2) same codes as in (1), but do a rewrite as a post-deploy task. Messy (changes the 'compare based' deploy dynamics) and risky (if the task doesn't complete).
(3) keep the xml data island, use more javascripting in the pages, to overcome the browser difference. Sorta 'AJAX' approach to updating text in the page. Messy (lotsa scripting for a text-based problem) and risky (if JS is disabled).

I'd love to hear your ideas...

Thanks for sharing,
Frederik.

What format do you ultimately generate from your templates? In other words, do you (CMS) generate *ready to go* HTML or something like asp, jsp, XML to be rendered by Application Servers, etc...

gzevin

Not a lot of great ideas. This is more an applications server issue that a WCM issue.

Your choices are server side includes (great for top nav, left nav, etc, likely not right for your issue) or a smart server that can substitute values for variables. In that case one could use ASP/JSP possibly some JS (though the traffic that would create may be bad) to read a file/DB and substitute the values.

If this MUST be solved via TS, then I would set up a perl module with a set of constants. This could be generated via a TST so the users can change it. You would also need to code in your WF a reference list (I use EAs, usually for referenced images) of the DCRs/pages that use said variables. Then the WF could attach all DCRs, regen everything and deploy.

Finally you could have a complex DNR script if you just push this XML file, that could regex the old value (with a variable in the comment for a reference in the HTML). Very brute force, but also effective.

HTH

Andy

yep, SSI is the way to go, IMHO

Frederik

What format do you ultimately generate from your templates?

We produce XML, which is rendered to HTML in a J2EE app - that uses mostly XSLT to render the body content, and some logic in custom tags for other presentation (navigation, and other dynamic elements).

For DCR preview, the (almost) same XSL are used in Teamsite and we let the PT run XSLT.

Frederik

yep, SSI is the way to go, IMHO

I know about SSI (in plain HTML sites) for importing headers and footers... but for importing short phrases in the middle of text?

How did you see that? Let the users write __VARIABLE__ in WYSIWYG VFE, and then convert to (e.g. in case of producing JSP),
<%= my_custom_function_that_looks_up("VARIABLE") %> ?

Thanks for the input.

Adam Stoller

I know about SSI (in plain HTML sites) for importing headers and footers... but for importing short phrases in the middle of text?

How did you see that? Let the users write __VARIABLE__ in WYSIWYG VFE, and then convert to (e.g. in case of producing JSP),
<%= my_custom_function_that_looks_up("VARIABLE") %> ?

Thanks for the input.

I think you are probably on the right track - if you know the format of the phrases like:[indent]present in 50 countries, with 150 offices[/indent] you might be able to some pre-processing in the PT (or perhaps XSLT?) that looks for such phrases and replaces the numbers with tokens before generating the XML that ultimately gets used - something like (and this is not meant to be 100% accurate)

$text =~ s/(present in\s+)\d+(\s+countries, with\s+)\d+(\s+offices)/$1<% _NUM_OFFICES_ %>$2<% _NUM_COUNTRIES_ %>$3/gmsi;

and then somewhere you would have to define those variables such that a JSP engine (perhaps) could then replace that information on the fly. Perhaps the definitions are stored in a SSI file that is maintained separately from the content ...

The above is essentially "guessing" at a means of implementation - I think a lot depends on the various technologies you are using the render the content on your web site.

ISCBorisB

Right now, they've created a solution without involving us, developers, with an XML data island technique (w3schools explanation). Unfortunately, (they didn't notice that) this only works in Internet Explorer.
. . .
We produce XML, which is rendered to HTML in a J2EE app - that uses mostly XSLT to render the body content, and some logic in custom tags for other presentation

One way to accomplish what you want is by using CSS content Property (w3schools explanation). Problem is, IE does not support it.
You can certainly try to use both XML Island AND CSS Content but the code may become beyond ugly

If your Application server renders Pages on the fly anyway, why not generate/deploy single "key/value pairs" resource
(like property Files in WebSphere)? Then you may use resource keys in your code and make App server to substitute on the fly.
Details of course will depend on what you really use, like for example Struts' bean tag with "bundle" and "key" attributes, etc.