tycker/README.md

# tycker - a web-based ticker input form


## Overview

tycker offers a very simple interface to be used for entering ticker information.
Each entry consists of the current time, a title and content.
The content may be written in [wikicreole syntax](http://www.wikicreole.org/imageServlet?page=CheatSheet%2Fcreole_cheat_sheet.png)

The data items are stored in an sqlite database by default. Other options
(mysql/postgres) are easily configurable, as well.

The result is processed via the template "display.html". Adjust this file to generate the desired layout.
Generated html files are stored in the parent directory of tycker's base directory.


## Installation

Debian-based systems:

    apt-get install python-bobo python-genshi python-sqlobject

Additionally you need a wsgi-capable webserver. The most popular solution
would be the following:

    apt-get install libapache2-mod-wsgi

Get the sources and extract them within the tree of your webserver:
    svn co https://svn.systemausfall.org/svn/codekasten/tycker /var/www/tycker

Maybe you will need to enable "AllowOverride FileInfo Options" for this
directory. Take a look at .htaccess for details.
Alternatively you can also use [WSGIScriptAlias directive](http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/ConfigurationDirectives) for a
cleaner URL.


## Configuration

Configuration is currently done via five settings:

* DATE_FORMAT = "%H:%M %d.%m.%Y"
    * how the date is represented (and parsed) in the input field
* PAGE_SIZE = 10
    * how many ticker entries should be displayed per html output file
* FILENAME_TEMPLATE = "ticker%d.html"
    * basename of the resulting html files
* FULL_PATH_FILENAME_TEMPLATE = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, os.path.pardir, FILENAME_TEMPLATE)
    * absolute path of the result html file (by default: in the parent directory of tycker's base directory)

Probably you will want to configure some http-authentifaction to protect your tycker directory from unintended access.

The static output generated by tycker can be styled by placing css and other files alongside. You may want to use the content of 'example-output-style' as a usable starting point.


##  Usage

Point your webbrowser to the installation directory:

    http://localhost/tycker/tycker.py/

The result is available (by default) at:

    http://localhost/ticker1.html


## Bug reports / feedback

Just send a mail to devel@sumpralle.de.


## License

tycker is published under the AGPL v3.0 (or later) license.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html