last updated:

current version: 1.0b4 (change notes)

NOTE: there is now support for updating the plug-in from within Frontier, in the same manner as you are able to update almost all of Userland’s native root databases. Unfortunately, if you have a version older than 1.0b3, you can’t use that support without redownloading the root file from below, and rerunning the installation script (which enables the support in the user.rootUpdates table). You can find out what version you are running on your server by jumping to the cell at dlData.prefs.version.

After the unshuttering of DeepLeap yesterday, I decided to write a little plug-in that makes it easy for Manila users to participate in some of the added functionality that DeepLeap provides. This plugin is released under the Frontier Artistic License, for free.

If you install this plug-in, drop me a line to let me know. I’m interested in whether or not people find it useful.

What does it do?

This plug-in lets you enter the information required by DeepLeap to enable its MetaInfo functionality for your site. It also allows you to submit the XML file that results from this information to DeepLeap, so that they can parse it and incorporate it into their database.

How do I use it?

It’s a standard Manila Plug-In, which means that it needs to be installed on your Manila Server, and then enabled for each site that wants to use it.

If you control your own Manila server, then this is easy — you can download and install the plug-in yourself. If your site is on a public Manila server that you don’t control, then you need to ask the administrator of that server to download and install the plug-in, and then you can enable it on your site.

There are two downloads, both very small — a ZIP file (4 Kb) and a straight Frontier root file (13 Kb). (The root file is in lieu of a StuffIt archive for Mac users; I don’t have a Mac at home, so I couldn’t make one.)

Installing the plug-in

1. After downloading, and (if necessary) unzipping, deepLeap.root, put it into the apps subfolder of Frontier’s Guest Databases folder.
2. Open deepLeap.root in Frontier.
3. With deepLeap.root frontmost, go to Frontier’s Server menu and choose Add to user.databases…. Affirm that this is what you want to do, and then close the user.databases subwindow once it comes up.
4. Run the script in deepLeap.root at dlSuite.install — this will install and register the plug-in. That’s it for the installation.

Updating the plug-in to the latest version

The DeepLeap plug-in supports Frontier’s standard subscription mechanism, so you can update it from within Frontier. Make the deepLeap.root window visible and bring it to the front, and then choose Update deepLeap.root… from the Main menu.

Enabling and setting up the plug-in on a site

Log into the site as a managing editor, and choose Prefs from the editors-only bar at the top of the page. Click on Plug-Ins in the left-handed navbar once it comes up, and then check the checkbox next to DeepLeap. Submit the form.

Now, the editors-only bar at the top of the page has an added entry, DeepLeap, which will take you to the configuration page for the plug-in. Click on it.

On this next page, you can enter the page addresses for your DeepLeap XML file. Read the instructions at the top — they explain the rules and such. Once you’ve entered the prefs and set them (by clicking on the set deepleap prefs button), then you can scroll down a bit and submit the XML file to DeepLeap for processing. This will open a new window, in which DeepLeap will report the results of the processing.

That’s it!

What if I find a problem?

You can mail me with any problems, or post to the discussion group, and I’ll do my damndest to fix ‘em.