[R-wiki] R Wiki structure - level 1 & start page

[Gabor Grothendieck]

On 2/2/06, Philippe Grosjean <phgrosjean at sciviews.org> wrote:
> OK, let's proceed step-by-step.
>
> Do we agree with the top level structure of the wiki:
>
> - beginners: collects together material for first time R users (and for
> curious people wanting to discover what R is). Subsections must still be
> defined.

This seems to be the same as tutorials which is a later subsection.
I would delete this one.

>
> - documentation: the wikified .Rd pages of all CRAN and Bioconductor
> packages, one subsection per package. Automatic update of the pages;
> free discussion at the end of each page.

Documentation - Wikied version of R Help and Manuals.

>
> - packages: one wiki page for each package on CRAN and Bioconductor
> (subsections CRAN / Bioconductor + one page automatically generated for
> each package). Package authors can add material there (wiki versions of
> vignettes, todo lists, further examples, links to related resources,
> etc.). This would be a kind of default package homepage, i.e., we will
> advise to use it as default URL in the package description.

Just one question here.  I assume the DESCRIPTION file and possibly
other material generates this.  If a new version comes out for the package
does this mean all the previous wiki entries are lost?

>
> - snippets: this is a huge section to contain various short pages. We
> have currently:

This only describes the first two sections.  Assuming that those
two are merged I would call it Code or Programming and then move FAQ up a
level since it doesn't go under code.

>   + tips: tips & tricks about R (please, do not comment yet on
> subsections there). The template for this is Paul Johnson's Rtips +
> James Wettenhall R Tcltk examples. It will also contain wikified
> versions of interesting threads on R-Help
>   + cookbook/examples: (I wonded if we really need to make two
> different sections here). Pages explaining from beginning to end how to
> make a given analysis in R, examples in focused on practical application
> of the method, cookbook is more "theoretical".

I agree that we don't need both.

>   + faq: shouldn't it compete with the existing FAQ files on CRAN? The
> advantage of the wiki version is that other people can easy add FAQs,...
> but is it really an advantage?
>   + surprises: suggested by Tony Plate: a special location for tricky
> stuff.
>   + notes: really a free section for consideration about R development,
> R use, etc.
>   + easier: a collection of functions to ease R use. Could perhaps
> become a collaborative r package on CRAN in the future.
>
> - tutorials: typically, longer documents than in snippets: introductions
> to R, tutorials, session demos, ...
>
> - varia: anything that does not fit in the other sections. Ben proposed
> "miscellaneous" instead, but (1) it is longer and (2) a section name
> beginning with 'm' falls between the previous one in alphabetic order,
> which is less satisfactory in the index. What about the idea of a
> 'challenge' section there? (see
> http://www.sciviews.org/_rgui/wiki/doku.php?id=varia:0_introduction)

The original, miscellaneous, is better.  I find varia confusing. Would
prefer if the best name used independently of alphabetical order.
Appropriate order should be handled as a separate issue.

>
> - weblinks: related web resources.

Links.

>
> - Wiki: all about the Wiki itself.
>

Using this Wiki.

> There is also a rather sober proposal for the 'start' page. Please, keep
> in mind that the 'index' at left will be replaced with a sidebar
> proposing direct links to various places of interest (a little bit like
> the left part of http://wiki.tcl.tk/). Would you like to propose an
> alternate 'start' page, feel free to do so by creating 'start2',
> 'start3', etc...
>
> Best,
>
> Philippe Grosjean