[Zope] - Direct access with Emacs

[Paul Everitt]

Magnus wrote:
> One of the things that have been mentioned as a "requirement" is using
> your favourite text editor to edit the DTML files and then immediately
> being able to reload the document in a browser and see the results. If
> Zope supports a standard FTP protocol (I'm not considering security
> here...) then this could be as simple as using the ange-ftp-mode, no?
> 
> It would be as simple as editing the file
> 
>   /admin@thezopeftpserver:some/object/with/dtml

Tis true.  In fact, we did a prototype here in which I was able to do
the above operation.  I could create a Document in Emacs then edit it.
_Believe_ me, I was quite giddy to actually see that.  And believe me,
we are hunkered down right now, working hard to get something available.

The status on this: we have written the first draft of the architecture
document that moves everything atop Medusa and describes how the Medusa
handlers and the thread pool will match up.  About a week ago we farmed
the work out to start the implementation.  In a week we'll know more
about what we're up against and I can give a more accurate timeline.

We are moving in a deliberate (read: not rushing, which shouldn't be
construed as not Rushing :^) fashion.  It's important to us to get the
architecture right.  We can then start haggling over the implementation.

> (Of course, it doesn't do away with the security problem -- 
> maybe there is
> some similar solution that is more secure... At least the
> editor/update-problem is significantly reduced IMHO)

Again, there isn't ONE solution.  As Skip showed, you don't have to
store stuff in the object database to get a big win from Zope.  And just
because we provide an FTP publisher doesn't mean people have to turn it
on.

But many people _will_ want to turn it on.  Maybe they are doing
development behind a firewall or on their disconnected laptop.  Or maybe
they want to support all the market leading tools such as Dreamweaver
that run on platforms that don't even have SSH file transfer, much less
free SSH file transfer, much less SSH integrated into the tool.  ("OK
Mom, close Dreamweaver, launch SSH, and generate your RSA key.  Attach
it to an email and I'll add it to your authorized_keys file...")

If you're doing Emacs, meaning you're smart :^), you'll get bulk copy,
grep, the wonderful world of Ediff, and all other whizbang things that
work with ange-ftp/EFS.  And it will be more palatable than normal FTP
because you won't be storing accounts in /etc/passwd.

It still won't be paradigm-shifting like WebDAV will be.  But that's OK.
TEXTAREA must go and must go soon!

For those of you that don't like the above scenario, THAT'S FINE, don't
use it!  This is open source, after all.  Create something different,
send us some patches and distributions and let's talk.  Just DON'T
respond by discouraging these initiatives.  Respond by encouraging other
initiatives.

--Paul