What are you working on?
My work can be divided into 2 categories:
- Add-ons, mainly integration modules for existing web-applications which are not (yet) PostNuke enabled.
My aim is not to fully integrate other applications but to enable single signon. I hate logging on multiple times so the reason is obvious. In addition, most of the time I add one or more sideblocks for PN. I have created integration modules for:
Owl- a document management system There is a PN enabled version called NukeOwl but unfortunately this is no longer maintained. This module comes with a sideblock.
Coppermine- a slick photo gallery. Again comes with a sideblock. By now there is a fully integrated version devlopped by phpNuke developers and I have adjusted my side block to fit in this solution. Having seen my integration for coppermine, I received a request if I could do similar for another gallery called 4images. This one is available also with a sideblock.
Mantis- a bugtracker application was actually on of the first modules I created. Recently added a sideblock.
phProjekt- again upon request. This one comes with multiple sideblocks and also includes Mantis integration within phProjekt.
Looking for a nice knowledgebase, I stumbled across Mindmeld. Although a kind of integration with PN was available, I did not like the way it was done. Created my own version including a sideblock.
phpGedView also created upon request. I have some interest in genealogy and am using TNG myself.
Netjuke was one of the latest. I had been checking out various jukeboxes but neither fitted my needs till I found Netjuke. Still think this is was of the best around. Also comes with a sideblock.
Already some time ago, someone asked for integration of Moodle. Once I found the time for it, things moved quickly. Moodle is a socalled LMS (Learning Management System) and looks very good. Once i made this available, I received a request for ATutor, another LMS. This one has been released shortly (seemd to me a good idea to offer 2 options to the PN community).
In the pipeline are updates for various of the above mentioned modules and also a new one will be released shortly for Zentrack, another bugtracker.
As part of the add-ons, I also created some Blocks. NukeOwl latest doc blocks. When I started with NukeOwl there only was one block which did not meet my requirements, so I added one. NewsScroller, one of the most downloaded on my site. I just did not like all that news on the frontpage and wanted to have a scrolling block. Recently have extended this with ability of scrolling Admin-messages & rss-feeds.
- New modules
Feedback module was one of the first, it was just not available so it had to be made (my very first one).
pnChangeLog is the other full module I have created. It allows one to keep track of changes of various objects. This time again, I could not find something that fitted my needs. One of the things I am thinking about is a survey module where you can weigh the answers, save them in between.
Tell me about your postnuke "career".
As soon as i was able to have a broadband internet connection, I wanted to setup my own webserver. I started testing the various CMS systems (alhough having very little
knowledge of this platform) and found that PN was relative easy to use, a lot of modules were available and was having a very rich usergroup.
When did you start working on your own module?
Although a lot is available, there is always something missing. Just for fun, I created a Feedback module and that really was the start. In search of modules i wanted, I also found that there is lot's of good software around although not always postnuked. That's where i started creating the integration modules. The NewsScroller-block was something I wanted to have for my site, so it had to be made. The first true module is my pnVhangeLog module which is still being further developed.
What is your development like?
Given my daily work, there is not much time left. So i work on things I "need", in some cases upon request. The help is actually coming out of the community, there are always people available to help in testing and giving proper feedback. I do not use any specific tools apart from coffee, tabac & music.
What is the biggest difficulty in your development?
Time and knowledge, there are more & more new developments which are difficult to keep up with due to my time constraints.
What features should the Postnuke .8 core have to simplify your work?
Well i just hope all the new things are very well documented so I do not need to discover everything by myself. Apart from that, performance increases are what i am hoping for. Certainly development of a "standard" bridge function for modules of other nuke related cms would be very nice.
Which route will Postnuke/your module in your opinion go in the future?
Well my modules will follow the core progress so smarty/pnRender will be the things that I will have to look into.
What should users of your module regard? What is the weakest/strongest point in your module?
Documentation is as always the hardest part.
Anything else you always wanted to say about Postnuke/your module?
Working together is always we should look at. A good sample is the recent developments around the Coppermine gallery. This standalone gallery had a phpNuked version (fully integrated) and there was pnCPG( single signon for Postnuke). Now the phpNuke port is also suitable for Postnuke. Although most of the work was done by the phpNuke team, at least there was communication from both sides. That is the way forward !
Thank you very much for the interview.
More info on Cas Nuy's work:
http://www.nuy.info