🚀 go-pugleaf

(*** Please forgive my poor english, I'm more used to read it than
   write it ***)

   I'm new to APW (about one month), and I equally plan achieving
a course (circuit design methodology and computer architecture).

   So I need a convenient way to navigate either on linear mode (next
page, prev. page) or on a direct mode (via synopsis or menus ...).
   I thought of different approaches, all of them being more or less
(rather more) clumsy and wordy.

   Finally, I think I'll make it that way :
    Each topic is divided in subtopics, and so on (let's call them
"sections"), the last level being a sequence of pages.
   The whole is a linar sequence of pages, organised on a linear mode
(next/prev) from the very first to the last one.
   Moreover, every section (whatever its level may be) is  meant to
be accessed directly (via synopsis or context-driven menus), but only
from its first page.

Here is the way I proceed :

   - Each "page" has two aspects : a structural one, describing its
"neighbours" (next/prev page, section ...), and the informational one.
     The structural part is a calculation icon, which affects the
IconID's (of the description parts of the "would be next page") to
global variables "next page", "next sect" ...
     Then it jumps to the informational part, which goes its way.

   - A navigating engine is made of perpetual buttons, whose activity
and visibility are conditionned by a "navig on/off" variable.
     Different kinds of navigation are offered : next/prev page, next/
prev section, next/prev chapter, contents... each one associated with
the global variable keeping the IconID of the relevant page descriptor.
     The activation of a button is a mere jump to the specified ID.

   It's easy to implement the different kinds of access (contents,
menus, natural progress, other buttons ...) by merely jumping to the
structural part.
Not too difficult either to implement the commutation between teaching,
showing (examples) and exercising on the current topic.
   In return, it's a bit awkward and long-worded (each page must have
its descriptor) ...

   Thus I hope I can realise my lessons rather incrementally, with a
minimum concern of the upgrading of the structure.
   I've got some trouble with the display/erase of the buttons, I still
don't understand the reason of... I worked it out with the effects/level.

   I'm not sure my (very little) experience can be of any use, and if
anybody on the list has better ideas, I would appreciate to know of them...


**********
      As it's the first time I send on this list, please let me know if I
 don't make it the proper way ...
**********


   J. Ristori   (IFSIC)
                (Rennes, France)