DSpace ClientUI built on RESTful API - GSoC 2011

Summary

Project	DSpace ClientUI built on RESTful API
Student	Vibhaj Rajan
Mentors	Bojan Suzic (lead) Mark Diggory
Technologies	DSpace REST JavaScript jQuery
Proposal	Melange
Location for project	https://github.com/tr4n2uil/restclient
Notes	jQuery

Requirements

Client run interface
Attractive look and feel
Easy to customize

Functional Specifications

Features to be supported

Respository Browsing
Repository Manipulation
Content Searching
Statistics
Administration

Customizations to be supported

Stylesheets (CSS)
Layout
Themes
Internationalization

Project Timeline

	Ready
	Base done, Improvement phase
	In Progress

Before May 24

Obtain access to :
- Wiki
- Project repository
Download, build and install local DSpace instance
Download, build and install DSpace REST module
Test and verify the installation
Go through the functionality of DSpace and DSpace REST API
Compare possible JavaScript UI frameworks -- Ext JS preferred

Mark: I would like to see a bit more dialog with Bojan concerning the REST API contracts and migration to Spring, mainly, are we happy with these API contracts and using them for the students project, or do we need to consider some possible changes int he API to adopt to using Spring REST instead of Entity Broker. And if so, is there a timeline for providing those changes in scope of the 1.8 release?

Vibhaj: Confirmed that the possible migration shall not affect the REST interface and hence RestClient project.

May 25 - June 15

Get familiar with DSpace REST API
1. collections, communities, items and bitstreams
  - create
  - view
  - edit
  - delete
2. users and groups
  - view
3. search
4. generating statistics
Decide the JavaScript Library to be used by discussing with the DSpace community: jQuery [decided by community]
Learn the jQuery JavaScript Library
- Selectors
- Actions and Methods
- Events
- UI Widgets
Design architecture for client run ServiceClient supported by RESTful (JSON) services
Design generic Views, Renderers, Templates and Modules for ServiceClient
Plan these extensions for RestClient

June 15 - June 30

Implement extensions to ServiceClient in RESTClient to provide support for :
1. Repository Browsing
  - Communities
    - All
    - Single
    - Subcommunities
    - Sort
  - Collections
    - All
    - Single
    - Recent Submissions
    - Sort
  - Items
    - All
    - Single
  - Bitstreams
    - Download
2. Repository Manupulation
  - Communities
  - Collections
  - Items
3. Content Searching
4. Administration
  - Groups
  - Users
    - Login
5. Statistics
  - Reports
  - Charts and Visualization

July 01 - July 15

Testing
Partial documentation
GSoC Mid Term Evaluations

July 16 - July 31

Enhancing the look and feel
Look into and improve scope for customizations
- Stylesheets (CSS)
- Layout
- Themes
- Internationalization (jQuery support required)
Improve the architecture of RESTClient and ServiceClient

Timeline shall be completed as project progresses ...

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