TIP 13: Web Service for Drafting and Archiving TIPs

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Author:         Don Porter <[email protected]>
Author:         Donal K. Fellows <[email protected]>
State:          Accepted
Type:           Process
Vote:           Done
Created:        21-Nov-2000
Post-History:   
Obsoleted-By:   467

Abstract

This document proposes the TCT provide a service on the World Wide Web for drafting and archiving TIPs and for providing TIPs in a variety of formats. A reference implementation is provided, and its server requirements are outlined.

Background

It has been proposed (see [2]) that the TCT manage its projects and procedures through a set of public documents known as Tcl Improvement Proposals, or TIPs. A format for TIPs has been approved (see [3]), and although final approval of [2] is still pending, several TIPs have been submitted, discussed, and revised, and a few have been approved, so acceptance of TIPs in some form seems likely.

A prototype system has been provided by Donal Fellows [email protected] http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/fellowsd-bin/TIP/ that delivers TIPs to visitors in a variety of formats. However, that system lacks archiving of each revision of each TIP, and offers no interface (through the web or otherwise) for making revisions to TIPs.

The TIP format was inspired by the format used by the Tcl'ers Wiki http://www.purl.org/thecliff/tcl/wiki/ . The true power of the Tcl'ers Wiki, though, is not in the particular format it uses, but in the fact that it empowers the whole Tcl community to contribute to a common set of resources. The Tcl'ers Wiki shows that valuable resources can arise out of the unrestricted efforts of volunteers from the community.

Problems with Current TIP Infrastructure.

The Fellows web interface to the TIP Document Collection http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/fellowsd-bin/TIP/ offers valuable browsing access to TIPs in a variety of formats. It accomplishes the important goal of making TIPs public. However, it suffers from two significant shortcomings:

Proposal

An improved system for archiving and revising TIPs is proposed:

  1. TIPs will be archived in a CVS repository.

  2. Anyone with the power to call a TYANNOTT vote will have commit access to this repository through either :pserver: or ssh access. With this access, they will be able to revise any part (header or body) of any TIP (whether in State: Draft or not). Everyone having this access will be trusted to modify TIPs only in conformance with the TIP format and the TCT procedures.

  3. An enhanced version of the Fellows TIP rendering engine will display an [Edit] link at the bottom of each TIP eligible for web-editing when that TIP is rendered in HTML.

  4. For any TIP in state Draft, and for which a vote is still pending, the [Edit] link will lead to an HTML form for submitting a revised TIP. For other TIPs, no [Edit] link will appear, and an attempt to directly access web-editing of such a TIP will lead to a message stating that the TIP may not be edited through the web interface.

  5. The HTML editing form will display the TIP header, but will not make it available for editing. The HTML form will require that an e-mail address be entered, and will allow a name to be entered as well. A