## page was renamed from MoinMoinIdeas/BetterDefaultSkin

 <!> '''Outdated page: the default theme in 1.3 offer most of the features suggested here.'''

Now, anyone can change layout (see HelpOnThemes and ThemeMarket), even having more that one option for each wiki, and giving it's users chance to select them personally (see UserPreferences). 

<<TableOfContents>>

= Goals =

What are the goals for a new default skin?

= Browser support =

Which technology and to what extent to use it is a governing factor when setting about to create a new default skin.
Currently, MoinMoin seems to be using HTML4, CSS1 and Java``Script. Preferably we could use these technologies in a fashion
that will let the design degrade gracefully for text-based browsers, etc.  XHTML-strict may be tempting (structure/presentation separation, valid xml) but I'm not sure it's worth upping the requirements for baseline access to the site. HTML4.01-strict could accomplish something similiar. How about a baseline of html 4.01 and enhanced using CSS1 and Java``Script 1.2?

= Element categories =

''This makes it pretty much clear that we need to have a split global/content-view''

 1. System messages: ''Your edit has been saved''
 1. Content metainfo: ''Page title, Last modification time, Last user to modify, Size of page''
 1. Content navigation: ''Navigation history, Up one level, Inter-page navigation''
 1. Content
 1. Content actions: ''Refresh, Print display, XML display, Subscribe to page, Edit page, Detailed metainfo, Diff from last edit, Search interface, Attach file, Delete page, Find related pages, Local site map, Run spell check''
 1. Global navigation: ''Shortcut to FrontPage, Customizable navibar, Help, UserPreferences''
 1. Global information: ''Powered by Python, Wiki version, Wiki run timings''

== System messages ==

A message box showing the result of the last action of the user, such as saving an edit, obtaining the lock for an edit, etc.
This can potentially be errors, and should be clearly visible right at the top with a distinct color -- one alternative
would be a Java``Script alert. It would be really nice if we could color it differently depending on the result, or use an icon.
Layout-wise it would probably be best if this is kept to one line.

 * messages could contain a link to a help page about this messages
 * I don't like that Java`Script alert thing

== Content metainfo ==

Telling the user where she currently is. The page title, and what time and by who the last edit was made. Why is the
size of the page interesting? Clicking the title finds all pages linking to this page. The timestamp could be a link
to the detailed revision history? Or have an shorcut to the detailed MetaData page? An option to have the full
MetaData here by default?

== Content navigation ==

Tell the user what she can find on this page. The navigational history doesn't really belong here. The "up one level"-shortcut.
Links within this page and headings within this page would be useful for really large pages. This could also be a good place
to stick all the "find related"-stuff.

== Content actions ==

Tell the user what she can do with this page. 

= Category rankings =

 1. System messages (''what was the result of my last action?'')
 1. Content metainfo (''where am I?'')
 1. Content navigation (''what can I find within this page?'')
 1. Content
 1. Content actions (''what can I do with this content?'')
 1. Global navigation (''where can I go from here?'')
 1. Global information (''where and how am I reading this?'')

= Top-level containers =

 1. Sidebar
 1. Content
 1. Footer

{{attachment:possible-moin.gif}}

This a possible layout that can be done in HTML 4.01 strict and completely decorated (and rearranged) using external CSS stylesheets. If everybody agrees (more or less) I can do the markup so it can be incorporated in the code. <<BR>> EduardoMercovich 30/04/04.

= Sidebar =

 * Always accessible by not scrolling with the content
 * Easily accessible by not being embedded with the content
 * Layout top-to-bottom: content navigation, content actions, global navigation
 * Wide enough to contain all wikinames (including subpages)
 * Plain list of choices (possibly with keyboard shortcuts)
 * Separation of system-defined navs and user-defined?
 * Group according to categories, keep user-definable links last as this list can grow beyond our control
 
== Navigational ==

What do we do with "Find with similar names" & "Find pages who link to this one". I think finding links is the most useful one.
I think sticking 'up one level' would be better to stick in the name somewhere in the content area. Use the "..." to signify
menu choices that lead to another dialog? What is the point of "Format as XML" in the UI?

{{{Find Related (Backlinks)
Show all Links (LocalSiteMap, name is a bit misleading)
Advanced Search (Better name for this one? leads to FindPage)

Edit this Page (EditPage)
Attach File
Check Spelling
Subscribe
Show last Changes (Diff)
Show Details (info)
Format for Printing
Format as XML
Delete

Help contents
Recent changes
User preferences

<Custom navilinks>
}}}

= Content =

Content location in format WikiName -> Page -> Sub``Page
WikiName leads to frontpage
Provides link to parent in the case of a subpage
Otherwise, provides the traditional backlinks mode

What to do with the navigational history?

Box with MetaData summary: `Last edited by NiklasAldergren at 2003-07-25 16:06:10`
User-defined format for date formatting, possibly relative timestamping (two hours ago, etc.)
Page size is XXX bytes (why is this so interesting again? move to detailed MetaData page!)

Format all content with sane widths to increase readability (maybe make it user-definable?)
Format paragraphs so that fixed-format paragraphs don't ruin the layout (i.e. code passages)

Needs room for access control text (You cannot edit this page, etc)

= Footer =

 * Contains all global information
 * Contains the stuff that is rarely read but needs to be there (i.e. copyrights)
 * Credit and link to MoinMoin
 * MoinMoin version
 * User-defined text (content copyright, privacy policy, etc.)

= Thoughts =

 * Unify actions and navigation
 * Having to scroll to the end to reach stuff is a pain
 * Show less information

 * Increase readability (font selection, column widths)
 * Arrange information by frequency of access
 * Reverse the order of pages in the TITLE for useful bookmarks
 * Some actions could get icons instead, but only those most people would recognize (edit, attach, delete, ...)
 * External resources for strings?

= Audience =

 * Wiki Reader/Visitor
 * Wiki User
 * Wiki Administrator

= Resources =

 * [[MoinMoinIdeas/AdamShand]]
 * Raytheon has a nice & simple design http://www.raytheon.com/ (check Products & Services)