[Zope] Product architecture question (long)

[robert rottermann]

Nikko Wolf wrote:
> I've been using Zope (w/Plone) for some time now and am still trying to
> understand how best to architect the solution for my site.
>
> I'm presuming I need to create a Product for the new types of
> objects/files I want, but even on that topic I'm not completely 
> convinced.
>
> My objectives and constraints are:
>
> - The primary purpose for the site's existence is to manage some
>   content files (text/ml) and allow a workflow process on those.
>   The workflow will likely change and hopefully will have minimal
>   programming changes when it does.
>
> - Users will have one of several roles: Author, Reviewer (of
>   which there are currently two types), and Editor.
>
> - I do not want ANY access by unauthorized users. Obviously they
>   must be able to reach a login page, and get instructions on how
>   to request an account, password reset, etc.
>
> - Here's the complication -- each file will have potentially
>   multiple versions in process at once.  Each version of a file
>   may have a different state, and I'd like to have a history of
>   all changes to each version as they go through the workflow.

what happens to the different versions. are they merged ??
>
> - Once a file/version is submitted for review, any of the reviewers
>   may work on it, it is not necessary that one role preceded the other,
>   but it is required that a user in each role approve the file.
>
> - The workflow is subject to change (the real one that the humans
>   use), so this could precipitate changes to the Zope workflow:
>
>   - The users' roles may change (easy),
>   - There might be another type of Reviewer created that gets
>     grafted into the review process,
>   - There might be other steps ("states") added to the workflow,
>     and corresponding changes to the process.
>
> - We need to have good automated backup solution for the content
>   (as in mirroring the content on another host).
>
> - And, of course, I'm under pretty extreme time pressure.
>
> ===============
> So my questions are:
> 0) Is DCWorkflow and a new Product [document type(s)] the way to go?
DCWorkflow can handle your scenario.
why do you need a new product?/document type?
You need scripts / products to handle the multiple states.
> 1) Is there a product that does something similar that I could use
>    or adapt?
> 2) Barring that, is there a product that would be a good starting
>    point?
> 3) Is there something that manages a file history (like CVS, etc.)
there are several products that do that.
we have one (called RedRevision) it is not very sophisticated but might 
be enough.
then there is CMFEdition which is still in developpement but much more 
powerful.

Robert