ICE-RS cycle notes for the cycle ending 2007-09-20

• Summary
• Overview of completed tasks
  • Components
• Outstanding tasks
• Overview of new tasks
  • Components
  • About the cycle notes
  • More information

Summary

In the previous cycle we setup a server version of ICE for the RUBRIC Toolkit, this was a rather slow and slightly painful process due to the usual problems faced in a university environment. The server version allows browsing with searching, the next step is to allow for annotations. ATOM publishing Protocol (APP) was also added to ICE (HTML only, images/objects to come), and we can now use it to publish to Blogger, such as for these cycle notes. Once we have full APP implemented we can then start work with using SWORD once it becomes available.

This cycle we will be rolling out a version of ICE with basic implementation of APP, and continue on full implementation including ATOM feeds. We are also going to work on a command line version of ICE so it can act as a service, i.e. a 'light weight' version, initially to create HTML and PDF as well as ATOM publishing. This will be incorporated into our ICE toolbar so that you don't need all the other bells and whistles (Subversion repository etc) to make use of ICE.

Predicted work units: 100

Overview of completed tasks

Components

Administration

• Support and setup of ICE-RS pilots users at Flinders University

Application

• Setup server version for FOSTER toolkit

• Add annotations (first)

• ATOM publishing Protocol (APP)

Templates

• Tweaks and bug fixes

• User testing

Outstanding tasks

• IDEA 2007 conference preparation

• ATOM feeds for ICE

• Add tagging functionality -

• standalone 'Save as HTML' using ICE code in OOo

Overview of new tasks

Components

Administration

• IDEA 2007 conference preparation

• Dissemination (demos)

  • ATOM publishing

  • ICE template updates

  • Another look at Zotero

• ICE 1.2.4 release with ATOM Publishing Protocol (APP)

Application

• Endnote render option in the ICE file manager

• ICE as an executable with parameters

• Image/object support for APP from ICE

• ATOM feeds for ICE

• ICE 1.3 release

  • Annotations interface updates

  • Search interface updates

Bugs

• Book rendering performance bottle neck

• Investigate OOo bug with MathType using OOo 2.3

Templates

• Tweaks and bug fixes

• User testing

• standalone 'Save as HTML' using the ICE exe from OOo

• Add APP to OOo extension using the ICE exe

About the cycle notes

The cycle notes are used to summarize the outcomes of the completed cycle and provide stake-holders with an overview of the tasks for the next cycle. They are also used to raise any issues for discussion and provide other information for those who are unable to attend the meetings. Specific information on tasks to be completed are available in the ticketing system, see below.

More information

http://ice.usq.edu.au/trac/roadmap

View archived cycle notes

Modified: Sep 6, 2007

ICE Discussion forum available

The has been a steady increase in discussions and interest on and off the mailing lists of late and the ICE application is also becoming more service orientated. To help assist with communications about these new areas and now that our version of Trac has been updated discussion forums have been setup, and include:

ICE Application

Discussions about the ICE application

ICE Server

Discussion about the ICE server side version

ICE Toolbar

Discussions about the ICE toolbar

Bugs

Reporting and discussions of bugs

There are no topics as yet so please feel free to start adding some. To use the discussion forum you'll first need to be a registered user.

If you have any problems please use the form on the contact us page.

ICE 1.2.3 has been released

The next version of ICE has been made available with the following fixes and improvements. As this is a minor release changes include mostly bug fixes. You can download the latest version via the ICE website from http://ice.usq.edu.au/instructions/downloads.htm.

Bugs fixes include:

• Check links reporting email address as invalid

• Links on images that are anchored as characters don't work

• Footnotes and endnotes are displayed in the referring paragraph instead of at the end of the page/document

• Hidden items in packages appearing when loaded using the IMS manifest, such as when uploaded into Moodle.

Changes/features include:

• The bold and italics character formatting is rendered using the corresponding HTML elements 'b' and 'i'.

• A message is displayed when a book file is locked while trying to re-build

• A new feature to add links in a document as endnotes. This is only in alpha stage, improvements to be made in future releases, to see how this works see the demo.

For more information see the full release notes at http://ice.usq.edu.au/releases/latest.htm

Regarding the Zotero OpenOffice.org and Word plugins/templates

To further comment on Peters Sefton's blog posting last week, (http://ptsefton.com/blog/2007/08/17/13-27-46.445348) you no longer need to use the developers version of Zotero as the plugins for Word and OpenOffice.org developed as part of the ICE project are now are available of the Zotero website at http://www.zotero.org.

Peter also mentioned the demo of the Zotero plugins I had made, I will be adding more soon and this time I will include audio (the quality was poor last time so I left it off). If you find them useful feedback would be appreciated.

The ICE toolbar and Zotero template available for download

The ICE toolbar

The ICE toolbar has been developed as an OpenOffice.org extension and a Microsoft Word add-in. The purpose of the toolbar is to apply the ICE styles quicker and easier, this has been achieved by the creation of a toolbar that not only uses identical icons in OpenOffice.org and Word but also uses the same short cuts on all operating systems and word processors. The functionality of toolbar also includes some "smarts" to assist with the creation of more structurally correct content.

The ICE toolbars are still being developed however, they are usable. Feel free to download and try them out, feedback is appreciated via the contact us page form or mailing list.

Try the ICE toolbar OpenOffice.org extension

Try the ICE toolbar MSWord Add-In

The Zotero template

A requirement of the ICE for Research and Scholarships is to identify the potential to enhance bibliographic software to complement ICE. Zotero was identified as having potential and is also an open source application. The main requirements identified were to develop an OpenOffice.org extension and Word add-on that uses an interoperable method of inserting citations and bibliographies.

"Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. It lives right where you do your work — in the web browser itself."

Source: http://www.zotero.org

Installing the Zotero template

The Zotero templates developed by the ICE project are being considered for integration and are available from the Zotero.

Before you can use the Zotero templates you first need to install the developers version of the plugin, you can get it from http://www.zotero.org/download/zotero-devel.xpi

You can download the Zotero templates from https://www.zotero.org/trac/browser/integration/branches/ice

ICE-RS cycle notes for the cycle ending 2007-08-09

Summary

The previous cycle we finished off most of the tweaks required for the ICE word processor toolbar. We also installed the toolbar for two USQ EPS staff members and so far feedback has been very positive. There are still a few minor changes to make however, it is now ready for an Alpha release. There is also still some refactoring and more user testing to do before we can switch over to using the .ice folders and start on the server version. The half yearly DEST report was also completed last cycle.

This next cycle will start work on adding annotations and tagging, as well as a version of ICE for Apache. We will also be identifying requirements to improve the export from ICE for repository ingest. Preparation for the coming conferences and workshops a long with the toolbar v2 demo/release is to be carried out as well. The ICE team will also be moving offices this cycle (we hope), so it will be a rather busy cycle.

Note that this cycle meeting has been held on the 30th of July 2007 due to stakeholders not being available for the usual time.

Predicted work units: 100

Overview of completed tasks

Components

Administration

• DEST Report

Application

• .ice folders

  • remove the need for the .cache folder

  • user testing

  • refactoring

Templates

• Style generation in OOo extension

• Tweaks and bug fixes

• User testing

Outstanding tasks

• Zotero Template Alpha release

• ICE Toolbar 2 Alpha release

Overview of new tasks

Components

Administration

• Zotero Template Alpha release

• ICE Toolbar 2 Alpha release

• IDEA 2007 Roadshow preparation

• IDEA 2007 Conference preparation

Application

• .ice folders

  • continue user testing

  • finish current refactoring

• Create a read only server version within Apache

• Add tagging

• Start on annotations

• Polish off the ICE Fedora module

• Spec out ICE export requirements for improved repository ingest

Templates

• Tweaks and bug fixes

• User testing

About the cycle notes

The cycle notes are used to summarize the outcomes of the completed cycle and provide stakeholders with an overview of the tasks for the next cycle. They are also used to raise any issues for discussion and provide other information for those who are unable to attend the meetings. Specific information on tasks to be completed are available in the ticketing system, see below.

More information

http://ice.usq.edu.au/trac/roadmap

View archived cycle notes

Modified: Jul 31, 2007

ICE-RS cycle notes for the cycle ending 2007-07-26

Summary

In the first half of the previous cycle we released ICE 1.2.2 containing numerous bug fixes. The second half we were going to hold the Digital Scholarship tools workshop, unfortunately Ian Barnes from APSR was not able to attend. We went ahead with a workshop and mainly worked on the templates and indexing in ICE. This cycle we will continue work on the requirements for the server version of ICE and hope to do an Alpha release of the ICE word processor toolbar 2 and the Zotero templates.

Predicted work units: 100

Overview of completed tasks

Components

Administration

• Preparation for the "Digital Scholarship Tools" workshop

• Build and release ICE version with improvements since last release

Templates

• ICE toolbar and cross referencing dialog box user testing

• ICE Zotero user testing

Results from Digital Scholarship Tools workshop

• ICE 1.3 branch

  • Assigns Ids to document

  • Functionality to index completed – What to be indexed needs to be worked out

• Zotero template was tested with the Sun odt Word plugin ok

• ICE word processor toolbar

  • Framework in place for building styles in the OOo extension

  • Now handles a single block of multiple selections

  • Added key capture to both Word and OOo toolbars (esc + key)

    Note: A short cut to capture the key pressed needs to be manually assigned for the OOo extension

  • Cross Referencing

    • Added Cross referencing to Word toolbar – tested on Windows (Word 2003) and Mac (Word 2004)

      Identified work required for linking between multiple documents.

      Doesn't work on Mac Word because of a problem assigning to a combo box

Outstanding tasks

• .ice folders

  • remove the need for the .cache folder

  • user testing

  • refactoring

• Build Book and proof PHD dissertation by A. Robins (UNE) – waiting on the .ice folder support

Overview of new tasks

Components

Administration

• DEST Report

• Zotero Template Alpha release

• ICE Toolbar 2 Alpha release

Application

• .ice folders

  • remove the need for the .cache folder

  • user testing

  • refactoring

Templates

• Style generation in OOo extension

• Teaks and bug fixes

• User testing

About the cycle notes

The cycle notes are used to summarize the outcomes of the completed cycle and provide stakeholders with an overview of the tasks for the next cycle. They are also used to raise any issues for discussion and provide other information for those who are unable to attend the meetings. Specific information on tasks to be completed are available in the ticketing system, see below.

More information

http://ice.usq.edu.au/trac/roadmap

View archived cycle notes

Modified: Jul 18, 2007