Import Mechanism - enhancements

[AnthonyMuscio]

To me these are some of the remaining gaps in the import mechanism to support more robust interwiki solutions.

• These methods are in fact also methods by which to process JSON files of tiddlers and plugins by definition. So the provision of these features will extend further functionality.
• A core plugin could be created for these import extensions.

Allow a JSON tiddler package to include tiddlers to be deleted

• Provide the ability for a tiddler to exist in a JSON package flagged such that it can process a deletion if required.
• Perhaps permit a field on tiddlers such as recommended-delete=yes for which the import process will apply if not deselected?

Allow package readme tiddlers, to be opened and viewed during import automatically and at the top.

• On import open and display the content of tiddlers with a suffix of readme, as in current plugins.
• This will Allow important information to be provided before someone finalises an import.

Allow a bulk add prefix to the import process

• In cases where imported data has the same tiddler names, we may want to import multiple sources, by being able to apply a prefix to every tiddler we guarantee no overwrites.
• Ideally this could be set to prompt or use a variable for the prefix.`
• This could be generalised to apply a filter to every tiddler during the import process including selection and set or remove prefix.
• This could be generalised further to provide a method by which to apply actions to every tiddler imported.

Methods
If there is support for this idea I can suggest some ways to implement this such as;

• Always import to a JSON or Plugin then provide the mechanism to apply filters, and renames to the shadows there in, then delete the source.
• Currently a disabled plugin will not hide its shadows when disabled, a separate discussion will address this.

[AnthonyMuscio]

See also 1
Improve Plugin Handling for data tiddlers. #5338

[AnthonyMuscio]

Additional p[ossibilities;

As in the item above;

• Allow package readme tiddlers, to be opened and viewed during import automatically and at the top.

Since the readme will be rendered it will also be possible to introduce macros and buttons to the readme tiddlers that can pre-process before import. Thus the package of tiddlers could test for minimum versions or incompatible plugins etc... before it is installed. For this reason it may be wise to provide a standard tiddler name such as "package" for such automation and render this before import if it exists.

Tones