Oolite Bulletins

I was just wondering if adding another column might be useful (yes, I know it's more work ), so that each entry has it's Title in the first column which links to the relevant Wiki page, and a download link in the next (second) column.
What do you think?

I agree that it would be useful, but it would be difficult to implement because it would reduce the space available for the other columns (in particular Brief Description).

I am trying to keep it so that at a width of 1280 pixels (a fairly standard resolution), the Brief Description is on one line (and the row itself is as a whole on one line).

I would suggest as an alternative either:
1. If the OXP name is short enough, the OXP author could have the OXP name and the word Download (or Get) next to it under the column heading OXP, with each being a link
2. If the OXP name is long, the OXP author on his/her OXP's wiki page, can put the download link prominently at the top, to prevent scrolling through lots of text to find it

Good point about the space available. And thinking about it people are likely to want to read-up on an OXP before downloading it anyway, so they'll visit the Wiki or OXP webpage first, and that's where they'll find the download links.
Daft idea...forget I even mentioned it

I second the motion against additional download links in the overview listing.
Anyhow, files not linking to a wikipage are currently download urls.

Standardizing where an OXP-download-link is displayed somewhere at the top of the specific OXP-pages may be a good thing. (Most pages follow a fairly similar layout already)
A single DL icon/link won't work for OXPs with multiple DLs.

Things are fine as they are, a bit of correcting to conformity (:lol:) is all that is needed.

As far as download links are concerned, I strongly advocate having only one link per OXP, and this should be located at this OXP's Wiki page, not in any table. All tables should only link to an OXP's Wiki page. This way the author has to change only one single link for any new version.

Actually, I've had to change two entries for my recent updates.
One in the alphabetical listing and one in the separate categories lists iirc.

edit: one being a new page and one an update to Con-more-hints which does not really rate it's own page.

still, having a single OXP-specific page with your download link(s) helps a lot.

Arexack_Heretic wrote:

Actually, I've had to change two entries for my recent updates.
One in the alphabetical listing and one in the separate categories lists iirc.

Do you mean the alphabetical listings here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... _%27F%27#A ?

Is that not auto-generated?

Several pages are, such as this one, but still there are two pages that need a manual entry to be made for new pages.
above is one,
as well as this category index here.

The automatic listing only lists pages with links attached, OXPs such as Tionisla graveyard, which don't have a page are not listed there. The category lists are by the way.

The pages currently here: http://oxps.wikkii.com/wiki/Oxps are a replacement for http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/All_OXPs_by_Category.

So in the worst case we have the same number of pages (2) that need manual entry as we do at the moment.

However, I would suggest keeping the alphabetic part of http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... sion_packs and deleting http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... to_%27F%27.

This would mean only one page that needs a manual entry to be made for a new OXP.

A bit of documentation in the HowToOXP wiki pages for how, which and where to add pages for OXPs would be usefull for new peeps (as well as returnees )

Yes I can add some documentation about where to add pages.

I think rather than completely deleting http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... _%27F%27#A I would mark it as deprecated to give authors time to transfer any information from it.

mcarans wrote:

Arexack_Heretic wrote:

Actually, I've had to change two entries for my recent updates.
One in the alphabetical listing and one in the separate categories lists iirc.

Do you mean the alphabetical listings here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... _%27F%27#A ?

Is that not auto-generated?

Auto-generated pages can be very easily recognized by the word "Category:" in their title. Rule: if it is called "Category:something" it is auto-generated. If it is called something else, it is not.

mcarans wrote:

However, I would suggest keeping the alphabetic part of http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... sion_packs and deleting http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... to_%27F%27.

The first part makes no sense. You cannot keep or delete parts of auto-generated pages. They are auto-generated.

The second part also makes only limited sense. Why would you want to delete only one out of four consecutive lists of OXPs? The page you linked to contains OXPs from A to F alphabetically. There are three others like this, and all four are sub-pages of http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Category:OXP_Lists which—as you note—is an auto-generated category page. Deleting one of those four pages would make no sense at all.

Hint: if your new OXP pages make it into the Elite Wiki, they would have to be mentioned in auto-generated pages as well, of course. For instance they should appear in http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... sion_packs . How do you achieve that? Very simple: You have to put a line containing [[Category:Oolite expansion packs]] at the end of your document. The Wiki software then does all the rest for you.

NIce, how does this auto-generation work? Are there other properties that I can specify? In the end, the Oolite Missions Overview page that I created would be much more useful if it were auto-generated...

Commander McLane wrote:

Auto-generated pages can be very easily recognized by the word "Category:" in their title. Rule: if it is called "Category:something" it is auto-generated. If it is called something else, it is not.

Good to know. Thanks.

Commander McLane wrote:

mcarans wrote:

However, I would suggest keeping the alphabetic part of http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... sion_packs and deleting http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXPs_% ... to_%27F%27.

The first part makes no sense. You cannot keep or delete parts of auto-generated pages. They are auto-generated.

Is there no way to turn off the "Subcategories" generation or can that only be achieved by editing each OXP's wiki page?

Commander McLane wrote:

Deleting one of those four pages would make no sense at all.

I meant delete all 4 - I should have been clearer.

Commander McLane wrote:

... they should appear in http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... sion_packs . How do you achieve that? Very simple: You have to put a line containing [[Category:Oolite expansion packs]] at the end of your document.

Ok that's good to know. Thanks. I guess I can put [[Category:OXP_Lists]] to have the new pages appear in http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Category:OXP_Lists right?

I have put the pages on to the wiki now and await your flames, I mean sensible feedback.

The old page is not gone. It is here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXP_OldPage

I have linked into maik's Oolite Missions Overview page from the Enhancements page. maik, I suggest you link to your page from the http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Oolite_Missions page.