Notes on QGN (Quiz Glossary Notes) in Tango/WebWisdom

There are (at least) 3 obvious ways of storing QGN. These are
a) Database
b) XML File
c) JavaScript Data Structures

These approaches are not necessarily competitive and for instance b) can just be the ascii 
file export of a). Again QGN created dynamically by c) can be saved using a) or b). Yet 
again XML server side web pages defining QGN (or a web linked database storing QGN) 
can be mapped into c) by server (XML parser). One could say:
a) is most robust and easy to manage (if you invest in a database)
b) is most elegant ascii syntax
c) is rather low level but requires least infrastructure to implement in a very dynamic 
fashion.
Databases or central XML file store is best way to access central repositories of QCN. 
JavaScript may be best way for rapid adding of a few entities to a single lecture.

There are two obvious ways of displaying QGN content:
a) Java Applet
b) (dynamic) HTML with JavaScript logic

Here we can characterize choice as
a) is most robust and offers richest display choices
b) is most flexible and probably fastest. 

Note one can use a) or b) display with any of three storage mechanisms

Whatever method or methods are chosen, we should agree on attributes ahead of time. 
These should reflect experience built into design of WebCT, which has these concepts. 
For instance a quiz could have attributes such as title, familyname, question, answer, 
quiztype (e.g. multiple choice), difficulty_level, date created, author …..
In XML it is <QUIZ question=”how should one build quizzes” answer=”no 
idea”>Sample</QUIZ>
In JavaScript, one could write
Myquiz = new makequiz(“Sample”,” how should one build quizzes”,”no idea”);
Registerquiz(Myquiz);

Notes on JavaScript specification (and DHTML display) of QGN. One can use a 
refinement of “self-defining web pages” used in old WebWisdom. Here JavaScript (as in 
above example) in child pages loads data into datastructures stored in a master page. This 
allows one to prepare QGN in ordinary HTML pages, which are either the page holding 
curriculum or an addon or any clicked URL. Loading page with JavaScript causes a 
master repository of QGN to be updated. In Tango WebWisdom this would be the control 
window safely hidden in a frame. QGN Information is then either automatically updated 
in some DHTML widget. The Registerquiz(Myquiz); in above example is a stub that 
examines the obvious culprits (self, parent, self.opener or combinations) to find the 
master registry and so accumulate dynamically QGN.