GoFigure project

[Vizion]

Hi
In the past I have discussed my interest in trying to build  a viable web 
interface for documenting and maintaining configurations for freebsd. 

I now have a specific project in mind that I have labelled GoFigure and would 
value some feedback from this list of reactions to the proposal and opinions 
about GoFigure's  viability, appeal, extensibility and the degree of 
collaboration that could be anticipated.

The basic concept is simple in concept but will require a lot of work and 
collaboration. I suggest that GoFigure_1.0  would represent the achievement 
of the following five loosely described stages:

1. Creation of XML schema to cover the  definition, validation, 
interpretation, documentation, & editing rules for configuration files in 
freebsd ports.

2. Building a parser to generate an XML version of  configuration files.

3. Building an XSLT based processing system that also converts XML versions of 
configuration files into the configuration file(s) required by each port.

4. Creating a mysql database for storing and manipulating the data.

5. Creating a web application that uses the XML versions of the condiguration 
files to provide a sysadmin interface to inspect, validate, maintain, edit, 
track, document and finally generate configuration file updates using the 
tools built in stages 1>4. 

In the long term I see some potential for dynamic use of the metadata and data 
in the XML files for XML based applications to manipulate and manage updates 
and for comparing different system configurations.

If I decide to proceed with this project I have a limited amount of time that 
I can devote to it and my enthusiasm for it will, I think, largely depend 
upon how useful a contribution others feel it would be to freebsd and how 
willing committers might be to collaborating with it.

comments please

david

 
-- 
40 yrs navigating and computing in blue waters.
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 Currently in San Diego, CA. Sailing bound for Europe via Panama Canal after 
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