XoxoOutliner and further outline addressing adventures
Revised the addressing code a bit, adding a few new kinds of addresses and getting ready to support sub-outline updates. That is, fetch a sub-branch of an outline and then later post a change to that sub-branch using the same address. Needs more thought - ie. what happens if things move between fetch and update? - but here are a few more samples:
- First is a straight linear index counting down from the top of the outline:
- Second is a navigation of outline structure, alternating numbers and letters:
That's all for now. In my next round of enthusiasm, I may try stealing Tom Morris' Opath idea...
Archived Comments
I think (and said as much on Tom Morris' site) that a fragment identifier would be a better solution, in which case Opath would be a fragment identifier syntax for OPML and XOXO. At least it would be the best solution from a REST/web architecture point of view..
One reason I didn't use the #identifier URI syntax for suboutlines is because some gymnastics need to be done to get the hash through to the server from a browser. Otherwise, it gets treated as an in-page anchor. The semicolon syntax seems to work well for a set of path-segment parameters, and follows the standard (if I've read it correctly).
In either case, it works for me, and should be just fine in a REST context - the suboutline syntax here should always identify a single parent outline node as a resource, and will eventually work for GET / PUT / POST / DELETE.
Now I just need to implement a solution for the Lost Update Problem.
Wondering if you ever completed your online outliner? Check out dynamiclist.com, a functioning but incomlete project I launched back in 2001. The editor is rich and works well. Been thinking of reviving now that all major browsers support the contentEditable tag.