[Zope-PTK] CHALLENGE: PTK wizards

[Paul Everitt]

Howdy folks.  Wizards are a strength of the PTK, but we need some better
ideas, plus proposals on how to implement them.  I'm looking for some
folks to write some requirements and a proposed implementation.

I'll start the ball rolling with some proposed goals for wizards and
wizard infrastructure:

1) Make the process of creating something simpler.

2) Provide a description of what something is _before_ someone starts
creating it.

3) Help cut down on "pollution" of the add list.

4) Provide an "advanced" mode for people that would like to be more
productive, e.g. all steps on one page.

5) Promote consistency in look-and-feel across wizards.

6) Add more "brains" to the creation process, such as field validation,
select lists conditioned on previous choices, etc.

7) Have the wizard run the "edit" as well as the "add" for an object.

8) Provide appropriate context sensitive links into the Zope 2.2 help
system

9) Should be easily extensible to developers, providing just enough
functionality at low enough pain that developers will adopt it.

10) Stays in line with Dublin Core where appropriate.

I'll start the ball rolling with a proposed change to the
infrastructure.  I think the first step for all wizards should be one
that:

  o collects minimum necessary

  o collects the same information for every kind of object

  o collects Dublin Core information

  o collects a mandatory ID and optional Title, Description, etc.

  o the button says "Add"

  o from there forward, it runs the "edit wizard" for the new instance

Other thoughts?

--Paul