Project name New skinning system based on XBL
Leader Sergiu Dumitriu
Estimated workload

Details XBL is an XML language that allows binding a new presentational or behavioral aspect on top of an existing XML element. Although a not so popular language, and not implemented in most browsers, there is a small js library that implements XBL 2.0, along with other important W3C specifications rarely seen in the real web, and which can be used cross-browser: http://code.google.com/p/xbl/

The idea of this project is to make a new skin that uses XBL to enhance the raw markup so that a skin can insert new elements needed for styling not by changing the velocity templates that generate the HTML, but by binding those elements from an XBL/CSS file.

What needs to be done:

  • Integrate the XBL library and check that it works
  • Strip the velocity templates of extra styling-only elements
  • Create bindings in the skins to add those elements back
Volunteers

Active

Importance 4
Assignee

Year 2008
Developer profile Required:
  • Good knowledge of XML, JavaScript, CSS, XHTML and a general familiarity with Web technologies
  • Ability to learn new technologies fast
  • XML Design Patterns
Optional:
  • Familiar with Velocity
  • Familiar with XSLT
  • Familiar with Java
The ideal candidate has some experience with Web technologies, and I don't mean PHP or Flash, but sites built on W3C standards, or programs that manipulate XML data.
Version 1.4 last modified by Sergiu on 06/03/2008 at 23:21

Comments 2

VincentMassol | 06.03.2008 at 10:53 AM
Sergiu, instead of this (or in addition to this), what about having a SOC project that allows using one of the 1000+ skins available for Joomla or rapidweaver (http://www.realmacsoftware.com/rapidweaver/) in view mode (we could keep a xwiki skin for edit and admin modes)? That would allow to suddenly benefit from 1000+ skins for xwiki!
Sergiu | 06.03.2008 at 11:21 PM
It is almost impossible to use Joomla skins, as they are a mess of HTML and PHP code using the Joomla Api. The same about WordPress skins, slightly improved as they use a limited API, which could be replaced (using regexps) with velocity calls.

Things are a bit better with RapidWeaver skins, as they use a really fixed API that looks fit for regexp replacement, something like %toolbar%, %sidebar%, %pathto(style.css)%. We could have a RWSkinImporter plugin that transforms a zip into a XWikiSkins documents.

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Creator: Sergiu on 2008/03/05 22:35
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