How to handle frequently changing taxonomies
markj - August 28, 2009 - 15:58
| Project: | Taxonomy import/export via XML |
| Version: | 6.x-1.3 |
| Component: | Miscellaneous |
| Category: | support request |
| Priority: | normal |
| Assigned: | Unassigned |
| Status: | postponed |
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Description
Hi,
This module looks like it is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I need to use a remote taxonomy of university course numbers in my Drupal app. One question though: this taxonomy will change fairly frequently (a series of large adds/deletes every semester with periodic incremental adds/deletes). How does this module handle this type of taxonomy?
#1
Well, it's tricky.
Although I'm working towards a 'distributed' sort of taxonomy management system that could theoretically support this, there's nothing like an API for deleting terms. And even modifying existing terms is out, the assumption being that you imported once, then started modifying your local copy to your own preferences. Later, importing an updated version of the list should not overwrite any local changes but should only suppliment them.
Any more clever than that and we have to go into a whole change control system ... which taxonomy just does NOT support,
I just don't know how you should approach this. Currently this is a run-once migration assistant. Not a sync tool.
:-/
#2
OK, good to know, thanks for the clarification.
#3
Use-cases, or some explicit re-usable examples would be interesting.
I'm open for suggestions (and sponsorship) that can embrace and extend some public taxonomies and set up a framework for such jobs. I've got some ideas, but they are not on the to-do list yet.
For the OP, deleting terms is a big problem under Drupal right now. Doing so would damage existing data. Perhaps some way of deprecating terms would be better - similar to how we don't 'delete' nodes or users, just 'unpublish' them.
Point being, this is a tricky situation for data integrity, and not one I've personally got the chops for to deal with. Without some advice from other librarian-type folk. I don't know of a module that allows for the demotion or locking of terms right now, though there may be a few.
Anyway ... I'm up for suggestions and co-operation from someone with more inspiration...