In this post by vroom a point is raised that I think is even more valid today than when it was written in March 2000.

This site has way too many places to paste code: Snippets Section, Cool Uses for Perl, Perl Poetry, Code Catacombs, Obfuscated Code and Craft. Not to mention the ability to place <code> tags inside any post to any section.

Some of these sections overlap considerably. Some of them (namely Perl Poetry and Obfuscated Code) are for particular types of code.

Delinearating between the others (Snippets Section, Cool Uses for Perl, Code Catacombs and Craft) is extremely difficult. Snippets is obviously for things that aren't complete scripts, but couldn't they also be posted to either of the other two sections? And couldn't an Obfu similarly be considered a Snippet?

My Suggestion
While I'm posting this suggestion, it comes from a range of Monks in a CB chat. The suggestion is to only allow posting to a 'Code Repository' section. Inside the Code Repository are sections that editors or Level 6ers or (...) then allocate to sub areas inside the repository. (similar look to the Perl Monks FAQ, but without the 'top level' posts under the categories, and put the categories at the top)

I'd suggest that when its posted to the Code Repository it appears on the front page of that section until its 'categorised' as above. This means that there's no immediate pressure for people to do the allocating.

This methodology will also allow people to quickly find something in there. If its code, its in the Repository. If its a CGI I'm looking for, I can funnel down the category tree until I find what I want. (Maybe submissions allow a suggested category tree?).

Now I think we should keep Poetry and Obfu. They're not really there for re-usable code. The rest should all be lumped into the 'Code Repository'.

Update: Added Cool Uses for Perl (thanks pfaut)

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by PodMaster (Abbot) on Feb 24, 2003 at 07:08 UTC
    I don't like change, much less premature change. I do like the monastery, and the fact that it is ever evolving, and this seems like an inevitable move (restructuring).

    But, what seems more important is providing a similar type categorization effort for SOPW. But how would you split it up? Seekers of POE Wisdom? CGI Wisdom? fork Wisdom? thread Wisdom? HTML::Template Wisdom? Huh?

    update: I like the snippets section the way it is. I also like Cool Uses For Perl, because they don't actually have to contain code. Code Catacombs is what we need to moderate more (aka, most stuff should end up here to be properly categorized by moderators), and Craft needs to disappear.

    I'm not sure I wanna touch Perl Poetry and Obfuscation.

    MJD says you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!
    I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6x+5.8x. I take requests.
    ** The Third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

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      Maybe what we need is something along the lines of a drop down menu when posting in SOPW so that it would categorize the question? I realize you can do this in the title, but it's just a suggestion.

      There is no emoticon for what I'm feeling now.

[reply]
        This reminds me, we still haven't made the keyword nodelet useful ...

        MJD says you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!
        I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6x+5.8x. I take requests.
        ** The Third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

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      I believe what is needed is an explanation how this or other feature would be usefull. Let's take SoPW categorization:
      - when you ask a question you don't really want to narrow the audience
      - when you answer you might want to narrow the questions to those that are in the scope of your knowlege, but actually I like to read all the questions and then browse the answers - to learn something new
      - only when you are searching the database for discussions it would be really usefull
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      I agree with your post entirely podmaster. The only restructing that's needed is to kill Craft and to categorise the Catacombs. The FAQlet Where should I post X? now indicates that people shouldn't post to Craft.
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        Perl Monks is run by a few kind individuals that keep the place tidy in their spare time. These changes won't be implemented overnight. Even though there have been few posts to the area, you can't rely on people reading the documentation telling them not to post in Craft. For the time being, the links to Craft should be removed. The code will still be searchable until it's moved at a later date.

        John J Reiser
        newrisedesigns.com

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Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by pg (Canon) on Feb 24, 2003 at 02:02 UTC
    Absolutely agree. One may try to explain to others the differences among all those sections, but I don't believe those rules/principles would be executable.

    My suggestion would be to have three sections for code:
    1. Code for fun (for example: obfu)
    2. Modules (blocks that others can reuse in their applications)
    3. Applications (may be as simple as one line, may be as complex as a giant. Reusable is not the focus)
    The coverages of those three sections are much more obvious, at least to me.
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Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Feb 24, 2003 at 14:36 UTC
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Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by pfaut (Priest) on Feb 24, 2003 at 01:19 UTC

    You forgot a section - Cool Uses For Perl.

    I have never been clear on the differences between CUFP, Snippets, Craft and Code Catacombs.

    ---
print map { my ($m)=1<<hex($_)&11?' ':'';
$m.=substr('AHJPacehklnorstu',hex($_),1) }
split //,'2fde0abe76c36c914586c';

    [download]
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[d/l]
      I agree w/ both Biglug & Pfaut. CUfP, Craft, Code Catacombs, and Snippets should be merged at least; (i) really don't care for the poetry or the golf.
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Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by newrisedesigns (Curate) on Feb 24, 2003 at 19:05 UTC

    ++BigLug.

    Whenever I post something useful, I'll put it under Code Catacombs. If it's something not useful but fun or different, I'll post it under Cool Uses for Perl.

    Expanding on your ideas, I'd like to see the Code Repository broken down into the existing areas as well as a few categories for Snippets (short, reusable code) and One-liners. I believe that having all the code-related material in one group, divided into specific areas would be the best way to organize.

    John J Reiser
    newrisedesigns.com

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Re: The Plethora of Code Sections
by aging acolyte (Pilgrim) on Feb 25, 2003 at 10:47 UTC
    ++BigLug

    For what it is worth - my opinion. I think that gathering together the snippets,CUFP, catacombs and craft is essential to make a useful (searchable) repository for novices and those of us trying to improve our craft. At the moment we have rely on a supersearch and the overhead cost this gives the server

    If we can do a limited search on one area of coding, the Perl DBI section, for example, we will get what we want much quicker and the server will (with a bit of luck) run more smoothly. It should also make browsing code more straight forward.

    A.A.

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