People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in <descriptions>. Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the entire program website in there.
This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds
What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be 1 short line, with description holding the full info, or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag
On Sun, 7 Aug 2011, aTc wrote:
# People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in <descriptions>. # Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the # entire program website in there. # # This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds # # What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be # 1 short line, with description holding the full info, # or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag
Or a third option (which should be implemented regartdless of anything else) -- know that people put goofy data in config files, expect it, and filter the data as the app needs. ie: If displaying a list with a description column on the right, just trim to a few lines, say.
ie: What if the app name is too long for a given display? shrink the font and ultimately.. truncate, right? We're used to this sort of problem already.
jeff
-- If everyone would put barbecue sauce on their food, there would be no war.
On 08/07/2011 02:10 AM, skeezix wrote:
On Sun, 7 Aug 2011, aTc wrote:
# People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in<descriptions>. # Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the # entire program website in there. # # This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds # # What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be # 1 short line, with description holding the full info, # or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag
Or a third option (which should be implemented regartdless of anything else) -- know that people put goofy data in config files, expect it, and filter the data as the app needs. ie: If displaying a list with a description column on the right, just trim to a few lines, say.
Problem with trimming is that you don't know which part of that huge description is the usefull info.
http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=milk.sorr.shake
Try trimming down that one down to one line...
--------------------------------- Description: This pnd does not contain any data files, but a breif description of the game is below:
Packed with additional features not seen in the commercial release of the game, including firearms, multiple path choices, completely redrawn sprites, smoother gameplay, enhanced graphics and a completely reworked soundtrack. Although the game is based mostly on Streets of Rage 2, it also contains several elements, enemies and environments from the original Streets of Rage, as well as Streets of Rage 3. There are also unlockable bonus features, joypad support and a full options menu to customize the playing style of the game.
---------------------------------
I can't imagine the description tag was meant to have that sort of stuff in it, and in that format.
And if it was, even more reason to enforce a simple 1 line thing so you can instantly get an idea what it is, without having to spend an hour reading a list of exciting features, and then still not knowing what it actually does.
Well in this example the app description should have been smaller but the PND description is good as it is imho
Cheers, sebt3
2011/8/6 aTc atc@k-n-p.org
On 08/07/2011 02:10 AM, skeezix wrote:
On Sun, 7 Aug 2011, aTc wrote:
# People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in<descriptions>. # Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the # entire program website in there. # # This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds # # What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be # 1 short line, with description holding the full info, # or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag
Or a third option (which should be implemented regartdless of
anything else) -- know that people put goofy data in config files, expect it, and filter the data as the app needs. ie: If displaying a list with a description column on the right, just trim to a few lines, say.
Problem with trimming is that you don't know which part of that huge description is the usefull info.
http://repo.openpandora.org/?**page=detail&app=milk.sorr.**shakehttp://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=milk.sorr.shake
Try trimming down that one down to one line...
------------------------------**--- Description: This pnd does not contain any data files, but a breif description of the game is below:
Packed with additional features not seen in the commercial release of the game, including firearms, multiple path choices, completely redrawn sprites, smoother gameplay, enhanced graphics and a completely reworked soundtrack. Although the game is based mostly on Streets of Rage 2, it also contains several elements, enemies and environments from the original Streets of Rage, as well as Streets of Rage 3. There are also unlockable bonus features, joypad support and a full options menu to customize the playing style of the game.
------------------------------**---
I can't imagine the description tag was meant to have that sort of stuff in it, and in that format.
And if it was, even more reason to enforce a simple 1 line thing so you can instantly get an idea what it is, without having to spend an hour reading a list of exciting features, and then still not knowing what it actually does.
______________________________**_________________ Firmware-dev mailing list Firmware-dev@openpandora.org http://openpandora.org/cgi-**bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-**devhttp://openpandora.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-dev
Since we discuss on IRC I got aTc pov : Using a command line tools a-la apt-cache, long description wont work. And using the app description wont work i case of multi-app PND....
imho, we should let libmilky dev or pndstore dev to come back with a solution for there problem ;)
cheers, sebt3
2011/8/6 Sébastien Huss sebastien.huss@gmail.com
Well in this example the app description should have been smaller but the PND description is good as it is imho
Cheers, sebt3
2011/8/6 aTc atc@k-n-p.org
On 08/07/2011 02:10 AM, skeezix wrote:
On Sun, 7 Aug 2011, aTc wrote:
# People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in<descriptions>. # Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the # entire program website in there. # # This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds # # What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be # 1 short line, with description holding the full info, # or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag
Or a third option (which should be implemented regartdless of
anything else) -- know that people put goofy data in config files, expect it, and filter the data as the app needs. ie: If displaying a list with a description column on the right, just trim to a few lines, say.
Problem with trimming is that you don't know which part of that huge description is the usefull info.
http://repo.openpandora.org/?**page=detail&app=milk.sorr.**shakehttp://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=milk.sorr.shake
Try trimming down that one down to one line...
------------------------------**--- Description: This pnd does not contain any data files, but a breif description of the game is below:
Packed with additional features not seen in the commercial release of the game, including firearms, multiple path choices, completely redrawn sprites, smoother gameplay, enhanced graphics and a completely reworked soundtrack. Although the game is based mostly on Streets of Rage 2, it also contains several elements, enemies and environments from the original Streets of Rage, as well as Streets of Rage 3. There are also unlockable bonus features, joypad support and a full options menu to customize the playing style of the game.
------------------------------**---
I can't imagine the description tag was meant to have that sort of stuff in it, and in that format.
And if it was, even more reason to enforce a simple 1 line thing so you can instantly get an idea what it is, without having to spend an hour reading a list of exciting features, and then still not knowing what it actually does.
______________________________**_________________ Firmware-dev mailing list Firmware-dev@openpandora.org http://openpandora.org/cgi-**bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-**devhttp://openpandora.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-dev
On Sat, 6 Aug 2011, Sébastien Huss wrote:
# Since we discuss on IRC I got aTc pov :Using a command line tools a-la apt-cache, long description wont work. And using the app description wont work i case of # multi-app PND.... # # imho, we should let libmilky dev or pndstore dev to come back with a solution for there problem ;)
Are most short, or long?
ie: If we add a short-desc, then they'd all be blank for now, which would be more annoying than a few long ones.
We could just go with .. in short contexts, truncate it; in long vontext, show as much as you can. Then the devs will see their truncated desc and smarten up?
Or do we make it clear .. a short and long desc of some sort. *shrug*
Enforce by context, or enforce in the PXML. Hmm. Maybe PXML is more explicit.
jeff
# # # cheers, # sebt3 # # # 2011/8/6 Sébastien Huss sebastien.huss@gmail.com # Well in this example the app description should have been smaller but the PND description is good as it is imho # # Cheers, # sebt3 # # 2011/8/6 aTc atc@k-n-p.org # On 08/07/2011 02:10 AM, skeezix wrote: # On Sun, 7 Aug 2011, aTc wrote: # # # People have been making quite a mess of the stuff they put in<descriptions>. # # Some use a nice short 1 line description, others seem to have pasted the # # entire program website in there. # # # # This really messes up any programs that use the repo to browse for pnds # # # # What's needed imo is either a short-description tag, that's only allowed to be # # 1 short line, with description holding the full info, # # or the other way around, with an optional full-description tag # # Or a third option (which should be implemented regartdless of # anything else) -- know that people put goofy data in config files, expect # it, and filter the data as the app needs. ie: If displaying a list with a # description column on the right, just trim to a few lines, say. # # # # Problem with trimming is that you don't know which part of that huge description is the usefull info. # # http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=milk.sorr.shake # # Try trimming down that one down to one line... # # --------------------------------- # Description: # This pnd does not contain any data files, but a breif description of the game is below: # # Packed with additional features not seen in the commercial release of the game, including firearms, multiple path choices, completely redrawn sprites, # smoother gameplay, enhanced graphics and a completely reworked soundtrack. # Although the game is based mostly on Streets of Rage 2, it also contains several elements, enemies and environments from the original Streets of Rage, # as well as Streets of Rage 3. # There are also unlockable bonus features, joypad support and a full options menu to customize the playing style of the game. # # --------------------------------- # # I can't imagine the description tag was meant to have that sort of stuff in it, and in that format. # # And if it was, even more reason to enforce a simple 1 line thing so you can instantly get an idea what it is, without having to spend an hour reading # a list of exciting features, and then still not knowing what it actually does. # # _______________________________________________ # Firmware-dev mailing list # Firmware-dev@openpandora.org # http://openpandora.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-dev # # # # #
-- If everyone would put barbecue sauce on their food, there would be no war.
PNDstore dev here. I'm generally in favour of not changing specs unless we really have to. In this case, I think a package manager's heuristics would be really easy: when needing to show a brief description (as with apt-get search), just use the first x characters of the first line of the description; when showing the whole thing makes sense (as with apt-get show), show the whole thing.
Yes, some packages, like the one linked earlier, will not work very well with this approach. But there will always be some people who misuse any spec. I don't think that making the spec a little more explicit is worth forcing everyone to change how they write PXMLs yet again, even if it is a small change, since most packages will work just fine with this approach. Furthermore, devs will eventually realize what description format works best for showing their packages.
Well, maybe not yet. PNDstore doesn't even show descriptions yet, and I'm currently busy with other things, so I'm not changing it now. But eventually!
FWIW, Debian package descriptions[1] and Git commit messages both treat the first line like a short description and the rest like a long description. The PND spec could explain this convention in the documentation for the description field, and leave it at that.
[1] http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Descriptio...
On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 12:10 PM, Randy Heydon randy.heydon@clockworklab.net wrote:
PNDstore dev here. I'm generally in favour of not changing specs unless we really have to. In this case, I think a package manager's heuristics would be really easy: when needing to show a brief description (as with apt-get search), just use the first x characters of the first line of the description; when showing the whole thing makes sense (as with apt-get show), show the whole thing.
Yes, some packages, like the one linked earlier, will not work very well with this approach. But there will always be some people who misuse any spec. I don't think that making the spec a little more explicit is worth forcing everyone to change how they write PXMLs yet again, even if it is a small change, since most packages will work just fine with this approach. Furthermore, devs will eventually realize what description format works best for showing their packages.
Well, maybe not yet. PNDstore doesn't even show descriptions yet, and I'm currently busy with other things, so I'm not changing it now. But eventually! _______________________________________________ Firmware-dev mailing list Firmware-dev@openpandora.org http://openpandora.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firmware-dev