• Purpose
• Features
• Road Map
• Developers Environments
• Project Openings
• TagFlow

TagFlow is a Tag-oriented workFlow Rails application. Think of it as Bugzilla or any other bug/task/ticket tracker without the predetermined structure. The inspiration is Bugtracking in the new millenium: how to build a better mouse..err..bug trap. (This project, its errors, the developer's cluelessnes and over-commitment, etc., is entirely my doing. I'm just giving credit for an excellent articulation of the solution requirements where it is deservably due.)

The users determine the structure through tags, e.g., project name, problem type, planned release or due date. The only built-in structure is open/closed tasks and task dependencies.

Tags

Tags can have values, e.g. "release:0.5" or "due:2007-12-31". Tasks and comments can have tags. Only tasks that match the select field are listed. The developer's current tag selection criteria is "TagFlow+release<=0.5", i.e. tasks for the TagFlow project that are/were due in release 0.5 or before. The listed tasks are sorted by the order field. A typical developer's order is "bug test usecase refactor optimization", i.e. bugs first, optimization last.

The only built-in structure is closed tasks and task dependencies. Normally closed tasks are not listed but included the "closed" tag in a search will show just closed tasks. (Adding "(closed !closed)" to the search string will show both closed and open tasks. Dependent tasks are always listed after the dependencies.

Hooked Tags

Tags can invoke code written in Ruby. These hooked tags are of the form action_tag. The possible actions are:

• create — on task creation, a new task
• update — on task edit
• close — when an open task is closed
• reopen — when a closed task is reopened
• destroy — when a task is deleted

Workflow

In addition to the inherent workflow possibility of tags (e.g., "assigned:Jeff" there is an "for" tag that allows sending a e-mail about a task to any one. The value can be an application user's login name or an e-mail address. (All users must supply a valid e-mail address when signing up.) In combination with hooks, anyone can be notified via e-mail when an action is taken on a task, (e.g., "create_for:jeff" e-mails jeff when the task is created).

Internationalization

Internationalization is already built-in with the Globalite plugin. Development is in English with pidgin Spanish translations (developer's self-study and Babelfish). Additional translations are welcome.

• Release 0.5 (feature freeze)
  • Rails 2.1
  • Quoted strings in tag values.
  • Improved testing
  • Allow empty passwords
  • Relational operators in tag select criteria
  • More extensive in-line editing
  • Save and Cancel on all edit & create forms
  • More complete translation
  • RJS - move Javascript out of controllers
  • HAML - use HAML templates instead of RHTML
• Release 0.6 (still open for suggestions)
  • Full text search
  • RESTful resources
  • Tasks sorted by dependencies
  • Speed up searches
  • Time Zone support
  • Rails 2.1
  • Rails 2.2 and built-in Internationalization

You can expect TagFlow to work in environment similar to the developer(s). The goal is for the application to work in any Rails environment, but that testing is yet to be done.

Jeffrey

• IBM Thinkpad T41
• SuSE Linux 10.3
• Ruby 1.8.6 (SuSE ruby-1.8.6.p36-20.4 RPM)
• Rails 2.1.1 (2.1.0 - early August '08, 2.1.1 - early September '08)
• acts_as_state_machine Revision 9250 (plugin)
• globalite Revison 92 (plugin)
• restful_authentication (plugin)
• rspec Revision 3333 (plugin)
• rspec_on_rails Revision 3333 (plugin)
• acts_as_tree Revision 9250 (plugin)
• haml 2.0.0 (plugin from gem)
• Xapian 1.0.4 (xapian-core-libs, ruby-xapian, xapian-bindings, xapian-core from OpenSuSE Build Service; acts_as_xapian plug-in from git://github.com/frabcus/acts_as_xapian.git)

Graphic Designers

The principal developer (Jeff) is a typical geek, concerned with correctness and clueless about aesthetics and graceful Web site interaction. If you can give help, suggestions, feedback, please e-mail him at jeff.taylor@ieee.org.

Developers

The principal developer (Jeff) is experienced, very good, and over committed. If you can give him a hand, it would be welcome.

Translators

The principal developer (Jeff) is only fluent in English. He is slowly acquiring Spanish as a background task. The existing Spanish translation is rough, literal, and decidedly not idiomatic. It claims to be the Spanish of Spain (i.e., "es_ES" locale), don't take that too literally. Correct translations should be ascribed to Babelfish, errors should be blamed on and communicated to Jeff. Translations of other languages and corrections of the Spanish are welcome.