I feel that this has the potential to go off-topic. @klein Would you mind terribly to split the threads starting with this post, please? @LinasSimonis first post is a valid suggestion, so I think it should still show up in the main thread.
Linas, I do think that a tutorial / FAQ on the differences between a directory and a repository is a good idea.
What would we include in it though?
Do you feel comfortable writing a tutorial on the subject?
I do have a general understanding of it, but there is nuance to the matter that I do not feel comfortable covering without first receiving input from Tim and Invisnet in particular and others in general.
If you do feel well-versed enough, would you mind drafting it out?
It is also going to be hectic for a week or two on my side and although I make an effort to pop around, I won’t be able to spend hours daily.
I committed to completing a different document / post first and I would like to get that right before taking on something else (other than having informal brain-storming discussions that can be refined later).
It’s not that much that goes into it.
Repository: an enduring location for the purpose of storing code that meets a certain standard.
Directory: an ephemeral list of pointers to code that meets a certain standard.
You can see which parts are changeable and which parts need oversight, and what the user expectation is.
That is the difficult / complicated part. Managing that in a written format. Not over-promising / overselling / still being realistic, but still being positive and creating a good public image.
I was going to suggest a basic comparison table, but, @joyously’s definitions are pretty good. Fleshing this out into a tutorial would be to over-complicate the matter.
@anon71742606@BlueSkyPhoenix This is not the first time, people are confused between a directory and repository. IMHO we badly need a tutorial page where the differences are clear and instructions how to add (ok, not now, but in the near future) plugins/themes to the CP directory. Can you start this?
I think there are a lot of plugins, authors don’t bother to proceed all adding to the WP repository process, but with the simpler process of adding to the CP directory, they can join us. Win-win!
@LinasSimonis
How about we start a separate thread where people can list their understanding of the differences between a directory and a repository and then we work from there?
After we have had a few people contribute, we can consolidate and turn it into a short tutorial type post / FAQ.
Since it was your idea, perhaps you would like to start the new thread in the “Plugin Directory” category?
You may want to tag Tim in the original post too.
Some of the differences between the two relate to liability.
Invisnet will probably also need to contribute to that one to make a tutorial viable
I’ll happily contribute $0.02 there to help start things off.
There are some related threads, but I don’t see anything that is exactly on the topic of “What are the differences between a repository and a directory?”
I don’t think there is enough here to make a full page on the differences between a directory and a repository. Directory = lists/indexes content, repository = hosts content. That’s pretty much it.
If we do need to have more discussion about this, then a forum thread in the plugin directory subforum is the right place. (Edit, I’ve moved these posts over to the right place, feel free to discuss here.)
I’m writing a blog post now about the current status of ClassicPress development and I will include a note about this distinction there.
This will come along with the implementation of the directory.
I don’t think the post was intended to explain just the difference in definitions though.
I think it is meant to start out explaining to people how contributing to a CP directory will be different to contributing to the repository that they are used to / explain to users what the implications are when downloading and how it may affect them. So the intended scope is a bit broader.
