# Tools for collaborative edition - authoring part Now let's discuss which tools to create this web document. Basically any kind of CMS - Content management system - could do the job. Let's try first to describe the requirements for this CMS, and then discuss about the possibilities with current tools. ## Requirements We want to: - capture the necessary metadata - render these metadata as json-ld+schema.org+html human readable - collaborate in real time - track changes / revert changes There are 2 main challenges: - make metadata user friendly (UX) - collaborative edition vs track changes ### UX for metadata Writing json-ld by hand and respect schema.org like [here](https://schema.org/Event#Event-gen-178) is not user friendly ;) . We need to figure out a way to make it more user friendly. One option would be to use templates, with forms to help end users to populate common terms for different objects. For instance - On a UI, I have a list of different types of documents I can: - create a project - find common properties wich are already filled for me and I'm offered to fill a form to complete the other ones - fill a content field where I describe my projects and put various links to it ### sync vs async edition We think that the lifetime of documents are usually started on a pad (codiMD, etherpad, prosemirror) and then moved to a more long term storage like git. Ideally the tool would allow that lifecycle, and even better if it goes both ways - from git to the pad and pad to the git. These requiremements are already partly [documented here](https://iilab.github.io/contentascode/). ## Solutions We think that there are currently no free software tools that match all of these requirements. But let's explore the tools we currently use today: ### Mediawiki #### Pros - it is already deployed and used to document many commons. - you have the possibility to create templates - we are quite sure that you can create json-ld - easy to revert a change #### Cons - when you edit, there is a lock on the document - no collaborative editing ### CodiMD #### Pros - amazing collaborative editing experience - manages front matter - md support (which might be a cons for some) #### Cons - no form support - no templates support - no folder hierarchy to explore documents - no proper API ### Nextcloud There is a MD editor in Nextcloud now that is collaborative #### Pros - integration in Nc - manages permissions of each document or folder of documents #### Cons - really basic - MD support, but basic ### ProseMirror Nc editor is based on ProseMirror which is a building block for collaborative edition ### Git #### Pros - perfect to track changes - developer friendly #### Cons - difficult for normal users ### Netlyfy You can try it out here: https://cms-demo.netlify.com #### Pros - nice UI for templates and forms #### Cons - no collaborative editing