Now you can easily link to CPAN and point to node_ids in writeups. Currently this functionality isn't available in the chatterbox which needs a bit of an overhaul before I make everything work as I'd like it to. HTML::Parser is a link which looks like [cpan://HTML::Parser] and vroom is made by a link that looks like [id://979]. Let me know if you guys find any problems.

vroom | Tim Vroom | vroom@cs.hope.edu

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
RE: New Linking Power
by Shendal (Hermit) on Jun 13, 2000 at 21:23 UTC
    As you add new features like this (which is great!), it would be nice if you had a short cheat-sheet at the bottom of the submit reply page. That way, I don't have to remember the syntax, and I am reminded of all the hard work you put in to add these features. It would also be nice for new comers that may not know that those features are there. On the same sort of track, you could put examples of common things people would like to link to.

    Just an idea.
      Hey, vroom, I agree this is an excellent idea, along with a revamp of some of the more basic documentation (not all of it is accurate anymore) but I'd rather have you coding things than writing docs. Is there maybe a "Documentation Quest" where some of the users who've been around long enough to know all the details could submit improved documentation? I'd be willing to write some myself, if it weren't for the fact that I'm still tripping over things I don't know about the site.

      I might do it anyway. <G> I'm sure I could count on my fellow Monastery dwellers to correct my mistakes.

      - Ozymandias

      Update: Hmmm. I see there's something in the air again. Here's what I really meant:

      Experienced users submit their idea of improved FAQs and "How to be a Monk" documentation. More junior users could then ask about unclear items in the docs, or questions that aren't covered by the docs, and generally discuss things with the more senior members until we come up with a complete set of docs that's useful to the new guys (and hopefully, helps the senior people out by giving them a resource to point to) without gobbling up more masses of vroom's time. Got it? OK. I'm going to go see what they're putting in the air freshener...

      Update Take 2: jcwren pointed out what I should have remembered seeing (or rather, what I did remember, once I saw it again) - the Perl Monks Documentation Project, where Level 5 monks and higher can create FAQs for various sections of the site. Which is all very well and good, but there's a problem; the people that are writing the FAQs are all experts with the site. There are NO new people involved. I think that causes a problem, because there are things that "everybody knows" which might not make it into the docs. I'm not saying the FAQ writers won't do a good job; looking at the list, I actually think they'll do an excellent job. But without the ability of the people for whom the FAQs are intended to comment and ask questions, the FAQs won't be the living documents they should be.

      Or, maybe I'm wrong. Could happen...

RE: New Linking Power
by ZZamboni (Curate) on Jun 28, 2000 at 17:56 UTC
    This is very good. One thing: it seems these new links only work when you put them in the text of a node, and not if you type them in the search box or in the chatbox. It'd be great to have them work everywhere - that way you could just type "cpan://Module::Name" in the search box to automatically go to CPAN.

    --ZZamboni

RE: New Linking Power
by mdillon (Priest) on Jun 14, 2000 at 00:05 UTC
    i like the way this feature was implemented a lot. i have one small RFE, however: would it be possible to use the | notation for alternative titles when constructing these links? i would like to be able to do [id://9685|me] and get me, or [cpan://LWP|libwww-perl] and get libwww-perl.