Discussion: purpose of adding a new workbench to a template in the wiki; it should be a regular page.

[vocx-fc]

The current instructions to add a new external workbench to this FreeCAD/FreeCAD-addons repository say this.

3. Create an entry on https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Template:DevWorkbenches

This page is a "Template", which has a specific meaning in Mediawiki software. See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates.

Essentially, a template is meant to be included in many pages in the wiki. If the page Template:My_template is defined, it can be included in other pages like this {{My_template}}.

So, my question is, why should the authors of external workbenches add their new workbench specifically to a template page? Why should they add it to Template:DevWorkbenches? This only makes sense if this page is used somewhere else, like {{DevWorkbenches}}.

I don't think it makes sense to create a template with all the external workbenches. All, or most, are listed and categorized in the page https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/external_workbenches.

And to clarify, I do think it makes sense to list all workbenches in a nice table, with author and website information, I just don't think this page should be a template. I mean, it should be a regular wiki page.

So, the instruction should say something like the following.

3. Create an entry on https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/External_workbench_list

This page would have the same information as the current Template:DevWorkbenches page but it wouldn't be a "template", it would be a regular page.

I hope I am explaining myself well. Basically, it is fine to have the information in a table, but there is no point in this information being inside a "template".

Also, about the current Template:DevWorkbenches page, I don't get why the information is repeated, once in a table, and once in a simple bulleted list. I feel this page is just some archaic page that was created long ago, and was just left like that.

[vocx-fc]

I created the wiki page https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/External_workbench_list with my chosen organization. So, in my opinion, the instructions should say to add a new workbench to this page, and not to the Template:DevWorkbenches page.

The External_workbench_list page currently lists all the workbenches available from the Addon Manager, in an alphabetical ordering.

I think it makes sense to also have it in a thematic order, just like the sections in https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/External_workbenches. So, I'm thinking that perhaps we only need one list that combines External_workbenches with External_workbench_list.

[vocx-fc]

I finished re-organizing the external workbenches pages in the wiki.

I suggest changing the instructions as follows:

1. Announce your workbench in the FreeCAD forums in the Announcement section. Also create a discussion page where you will provide support for your workbench, in the Open Discussion section.
2. Create a dedicated page for your workbench on the FreeCAD wiki, for example, MyOwn_Workbench. In this page include [[Category:Addons]] at the bottom. Add your workbench, and its wiki page, to the list of External workbenches, placing it in the proper section.
3. After your workbench is accepted into the addons repository, it will be included in the External workbench list.

The rest of the points stay the same.

My idea is that the page "External_workbenches" contains every single workbench that is there, while "External_workbench_list" contains only those that appear in fact in the Addon Manager. We must definitely stop using the "Template:DevWorkbenches" page as it serves no purpose.

What do you think @luzpaz?

Can you commit these changes or should I open a pull request?

[chennes]

I'm closing this as completed and/or obsolete now.