Organizing Calculus & LA Applets: Best Practices

Hey guys! We need to figure out the best way to organize our Calculus and Linear Algebra (LA) applets, both in the repository and on the website. It's becoming a bit of a mess, especially as we start integrating these applets into the book. We definitely need a smarter system, and we need it fast, before things get even more complicated. Just dumping everything into the calculus directory isn't cutting it – it's going to get super cluttered really quickly.

The Challenge of Organization

Currently, our approach of simply throwing all Calculus applets into a single calculus directory is proving to be unsustainable. As the number of applets grows, navigating and maintaining this directory will become increasingly difficult. This lack of organization can lead to several problems, including difficulty in finding specific applets, increased maintenance overhead, and a less intuitive experience for users.

Moreover, we're stuck with our current LA applet locations due to backwards compatibility, which adds another layer of complexity. We can't just move things around without potentially breaking existing links and integrations. This constraint forces us to find a solution that respects the current structure while providing a better way to manage Calculus applets.

Therefore, we need a solution that addresses the following key challenges:

• Scalability: The organization system should be able to accommodate a growing number of Calculus applets without becoming unwieldy.
• Maintainability: It should be easy to navigate, update, and maintain the applet repository.
• User Experience: Users should be able to easily find and access the applets they need.
• Backwards Compatibility: The solution should not break existing links or integrations with LA applets.

Proposed Solution: Subdirectories for Calculus Applets

I think the best solution would be to keep all the calculus applets in the main calculus directory, but then create subdirectories within it to categorize them further. For example, we could have calculus/integration/left_rectangle. This would provide a much more organized structure and make it easier to find specific applets.

Benefits of Subdirectories

• Improved Organization: Subdirectories provide a hierarchical structure that makes it easier to browse and locate specific applets. For example, all applets related to integration would be located under the calculus/integration/ directory.
• Enhanced Maintainability: A well-organized directory structure simplifies maintenance tasks such as updating, renaming, or deleting applets. It also makes it easier to identify and resolve potential conflicts.
• Scalability: Subdirectories can accommodate a growing number of applets without becoming unwieldy. As the number of applets increases, new subdirectories can be created to further refine the organization.
• Clear Categorization: Subdirectories allow for a clear categorization of applets based on their functionality or topic. This makes it easier for users to understand the purpose of each applet and find the ones they need.

Example Subdirectory Structure

Here's an example of how we could structure the calculus directory using subdirectories:

• calculus/derivatives/: Contains applets related to derivatives, such as:
  • calculus/derivatives/power_rule/
  • calculus/derivatives/chain_rule/
• calculus/integration/: Contains applets related to integration, such as:
  • calculus/integration/left_rectangle/
  • calculus/integration/simpsons_rule/
• calculus/limits/: Contains applets related to limits, such as:
  • calculus/limits/epsilon_delta/
  • calculus/limits/lhopitals_rule/

This is just an example, and the specific subdirectories we create would depend on the types of applets we have and how we want to categorize them.

Separate Main Page for Calculus Applets

In addition to the subdirectory structure, I propose creating a separate main page specifically for calculus applets. This page would only list the applets located within the calculus directory and its subdirectories. The existing main page would then be dedicated to Linear Algebra (LA) applets.

Advantages of Separate Main Pages

• Improved User Experience: Users interested in Calculus applets would be able to find them more easily by navigating to the dedicated Calculus main page. This eliminates the need to sift through LA applets to find what they're looking for.
• Clearer Focus: Separate main pages provide a clearer focus for each subject area, making it easier for users to understand the scope of the available applets.
• Reduced Clutter: By separating the applets onto different pages, we reduce the clutter on each page and make it easier to navigate.
• Enhanced Discoverability: A dedicated Calculus main page can be optimized for search engines, making it easier for users to find the applets they need through online searches.

Implementation Details

To implement this solution, we would need to:

1. Create a new main page specifically for Calculus applets.
2. Modify the existing main page to only list LA applets.
3. Update the links to the applets to point to the correct main page.
4. Ensure that the navigation between the two main pages is clear and intuitive.

Addressing Backwards Compatibility

Since we cannot move the LA applets due to backwards compatibility concerns, this solution is designed to work around that limitation. The LA applets will remain in their current locations, and the existing main page will continue to list them. The new Calculus main page and subdirectory structure will only affect the Calculus applets, leaving the LA applets untouched.

This approach ensures that existing links and integrations with LA applets will not be broken, while still providing a better way to organize and manage the Calculus applets.

Benefits of the Overall Approach

By implementing both the subdirectory structure and the separate main page, we can achieve a comprehensive solution that addresses the challenges of organizing and managing our Calculus and LA applets. This approach offers several key benefits:

• Improved Organization: The subdirectory structure provides a hierarchical organization that makes it easier to browse and locate specific applets.
• Enhanced User Experience: Separate main pages provide a clearer focus for each subject area, making it easier for users to find the applets they need.
• Increased Maintainability: A well-organized directory structure simplifies maintenance tasks and reduces the risk of errors.
• Scalability: The subdirectory structure can accommodate a growing number of applets without becoming unwieldy.
• Backwards Compatibility: The solution does not break existing links or integrations with LA applets.

Alternative Solutions Considered

While the proposed solution seems the most effective, we did consider a few other approaches:

• Tagging System: Implementing a tagging system where each applet is tagged with relevant keywords. Users could then filter applets based on these tags. However, this approach can become cumbersome to manage as the number of applets and tags grows.
• Metadata Database: Creating a database to store metadata about each applet, such as its topic, difficulty level, and prerequisites. This would allow for more advanced searching and filtering capabilities. However, this approach would require significant development effort and ongoing maintenance.

Ultimately, we felt that the subdirectory structure and separate main pages provided the best balance between organization, user experience, and ease of implementation.

Call to Action

So, what do you guys think? Does this sound like a good plan? I'm open to other suggestions, but I think this is a solid starting point. Let me know your thoughts, @yustarandomname and @zlumi! Let's get this sorted out ASAP!

In summary, a well-structured organization system is crucial for managing a growing collection of applets. By implementing a subdirectory structure for Calculus applets and creating separate main pages for Calculus and LA applets, we can improve organization, enhance user experience, and ensure maintainability. This approach will not only make it easier for users to find the applets they need but also simplify the process of updating and maintaining the applet repository. This will save valuable time and resources in the long run.

Remember that a good organization structure improve collaboration and code maintainability. A good structure will save time when debugging, searching and testing new features. Remember to always document the steps for future reference.