LDan wrote:
I'm not the programmer, but should it really be a link to a regular wiki page? I think it would be more appropriate if it linked to something like [[Special:Next]] or {{NEXTPAGE}}. It would also be convienient for that to appear at the bottom of the screen automatically, but that would take some coding.
I really, really like this idea; that way a particular module (wiki textbook page) could be used by several different textbooks. The software would keep track of the textbook (and module) the reader is reading from so that "Next page" always keeps the reader in the same textbook even when many of the modules of that textbook are shared. A possible way for the software to know the order of pages is to simply scan the table of contents of whatever textbook the reader is reading from.
A website I've been working on uses JavaBeans to do this type of thing but I'm sure there is an open source solution.
In short: Hard coding "Next page" is bad as far as scalability is concerned (but for now it should work fine).
-- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)
Daniel Mayer wrote:
LittleDan wrote:
I think it would be more appropriate if it linked to something like [[Special:Next]] or {{NEXTPAGE}}.
I really, really like this idea; that way a particular module (wiki textbook page) could be used by several different textbooks. The software would keep track of the textbook (and module) the reader is reading from so that "Next page" always keeps the reader in the same textbook even when many of the modules of that textbook are shared.
Oo, good idea!
In terms of what I was discussing before regarding math texts, where an instructor might choose different sets of material to go through, and where we might have to write things differently depending on what has gone before: We can put all of the math material in one big database, while different math texts are offered (or constructed by new users) that go through different modules in different orders, according to the needs of different courses. No need for �If you know concept A, read definition X, but if you know concept B, then read definition Y.�, since the reader can just click "Next" in any well designed textbook to get to whatever definition they're supposed to use.
Now making the /index/ develop automatically and correctly -- that may be tricky, but it should be possible.
-- Toby
Daniel Mayer wrote:
LDan wrote:
I'm not the programmer, but should it really be a link to a regular wiki page? I think it would be more appropriate if it linked to something like [[Special:Next]] or {{NEXTPAGE}}. It would also be convienient for that to appear at the bottom of the screen automatically, but that would take some coding.
I really, really like this idea; that way a particular module (wiki textbook page) could be used by several different textbooks. The software would keep track of the textbook (and module) the reader is reading from so that "Next page" always keeps the reader in the same textbook even when many of the modules of that textbook are shared. A possible way for the software to know the order of pages is to simply scan the table of contents of whatever textbook the reader is reading from.
OK, practical question: How does the software on a given page *know* what page is next? It doesn't until we tell it. The best place is within the page/article/module, don't you think?
The alternative would be to make an index page with links, and then have *every* page scan *every* index (well, the ones with links to that page) for "Am I in here", parse the index, and determine the next page.
Both would be possible, the first one easy to implement (just a link;-). The second one would be based on indices (tables of contents). To stay in the same "book", we'd have to carry the current TOC with us on every view. Or, we show all possible links, like "Next page in Biology", "Next page in Chemistry", etc.
Magnus
Magnus Manske wrote:
OK, practical question: How does the software on a given page *know* what page is next? It doesn't until we tell it. The best place is within the page/article/module, don't you think?
I think that mav is right -- stick it all in the URL. (I will reply to his post with one problem that I see.)
Or, we show all possible links, like "Next page in Biology", "Next page in Chemistry", etc.
For my proposed application, with different orders for the same material being counted as different "books" to allow teachers to choose the order, this would be rather difficult to keep track of, with a link like "Next page in Calculus using course sequence #14". Or was this class using course sequence #4? -- I forget. ^_^
-- Toby
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