Personal Information Environment (PIE)

PIE is a framework for text “development” and Information Management, especially for XML enthusiast.

Concept of PIE

• use of Pareto rule: with 20% of code for 80% fulfilment of needs and keep it simple
• people with XML experience (or interest)
• use of popular (free) tools
  • GNU Emacs (my favorite environment, emacs lisp glue included)
  • Freemind
  • graphviz
  • web browsers (Mozilla Firefox, MS IE)
  • LaTeX, PDFLaTeX
• portability (source code and XSLT)
• file based (no database server)
• simple markup only for a good plain text readability (Editor, E-Mail)

Writing as a text development

• different views on one document: Structure, Article, Presentation, Calendar
  • a structure view (Tree, Mindmap, “Mindtree”)
  • a search tool with context informations
• “rapid prototyping” of documents using mindmaps (oriented on structure not layout)
• comment or skip regions without deleting them

Frontends

CGI

Command line

HISTORY

1. begin at 1997 with an AWK script,
2. later porting to PERL script (for a 120-pages thesis in simple Text format)
3. new features like Todo list, Journal, project planning
4. better implementation in C (C++ compatible)