[kde-edu]: update kvtml files via internet

[Michael Hofer]

Am Donnerstag, 24. Januar 2008 schrieb Falk Dechent:
> But the problem is with changes in the kvtml file like spelling errors AND
> keeping the current grade of the lesson.
[...]
> well I know that diff and merge are really powerfull but this won't do,

For passing on vocabulary files to somebody else (which I think is a very 
important operation), it seems more logical to me, to keep vocabulary data 
and grades separated in the first place. So one kvtml file containing all the 
vocabulary data and another xml file (which is private to each user) which 
contains only the grades.

As a side effect it would be easier for other applicatons (like my mobile 
vocabulary trainer MobVoc) to write back grade information (wouldn't have to 
write the whole vocabulary data, but only the grades).

> my Idea: extend the kvtml format with:
> html link to latest version
> uniqe identifier for each entry

AFAIK there is already a unique identifier for each entry (the id attribute), 
isn't it? This could be used to connect the grades to the entries. If there 
was also a version attribute (just an incrementing number) saved in both 
files, the applications would easily know if the grades are still valid after 
replacing the kvtml file with a newer version. Updating a kvtml file would be 
as simple as replacing the file in the file system (no special merge 
operation needed).

With the version saved within the entries, it would also be easier to extend 
this to do a real merge (that keeps user changes).
- if the id of the new file is higher, use the entry from the new file
- if it is the same ask the user
- if it is lower, keep the users version

A link to the "official version" inside the kvtml file could be a good idea 
(for simple replacing as well as for a real merge). If the "real merge" was 
implemented, this could also be easily extended to enable bi-directional 
synchronization with the official version (write back your changes to the 
official version....).

servus,
Michael