Brion Vibber wrote:
On Fri, 7 Feb 2003, Axel Boldt wrote:
I know that I asked this question before, but I
don't remember whether
we found a satisfying answer. How should the searching be handled once
we distribute a static HTML tree on CD? Is there anything better than a
javascript hack? Distribute a personal web server along with the files?
Several thoughts:
* Rather than a static HTML tree (which will grow too big for a CD without
compression sooner or later), store compressed and indexed wikitext, and
distribute it with a dedicated reader, which will have a search mechanism
built in to it. (Related to or the same as a dedicated writer... see
discussions on meta)
* A Java hack
* Write a helper program to do searching, include compiled versions for
major platforms. (But how to integrate with browser?)
-- brion vibber (brion @
pobox.com)
Sounds great!!
Maybe use DVD or a set of several CD-roms...
Instead of a 'Java hack' maybe also possible to write
a 'decent program' in C++ with help of FLTK or wxWindows libraries or ...
Or, for unix-users, also distribute a mini-webserver (I am writing
mini-WikipediaSoftware in pure C right at this moment..), the edit-button
will immediately link to the online wikipedia.... (?...)
Hmmm,... Lars Aronsson is asking good questions on how to present these
'wiki-mirrors'...
Technical question: I'm considering 'stealing' some wikipedia-source
(to mirror it on my own server) by generating queries like
"http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Chemistry&action=edit"
then read what your server sent me, reading only the wiki-source between
"<textarea tabindex=1 name='wpTextbox1' rows=25 cols=80
wrap=virtual>"
and "</textarea>".
If I would do this too massively, I would probably disturb your server (isn't it?)
so is there maybe a simpler way to retrieve wikisources?
(I don't need the html around it)
Thanks (also thanks to Jimmy Wales for informing me about 'the foundation'),
Pieter Suurmond
If CD-ROM becomes outdated one maybe can use it as a shaving-mirror
instead of a Wikipedia-mirror :-)