[development] Actions in core

[fago]

> What is the future look like for actions?
> ----------------------------------------
> 
> I'd like to see actions for each module in core. If we refactor some 
> code in a smart way, adding actions will just be adding wrappers 
> around existing functionality. So statistics.module can have a "Clear 
> access log" action, taxonomy.module can have a "Add title to 
> vocabulary" action, etc. etc. The current default_actions.inc 
> contains actions that will be distributed to the various core modules.


It's great to see that you are working on improving actions :)

I don't know, if you ever have read my workflow-ng proposal, which has
some similiar things in. -> http://more.zites.net/node/3030 I've also
posted it to the workflow group.

Actually I've planned a layer between actions and hooks: events.
It should achieve, what you have built now as contexts. Events sit on
top of hooks and prepare the context for use with actions (and
conditions..).
E.g. some of your default actions load the $node for the context
comment. Ideally that could be factored out of actions, so that a code
reacts on comment insertion/update, prepares the data and calls the
event, which fires configured actions / conditions.
What do you think about that?


> The next major hurdle for actions consists of action sets and 
> conditionals. Action sets are groups of actions that go together. 
> Conditionals evaluate and determine whether an action set actually 
> executes. eaton has paved the way for both of these in his voting 
> actions module. Unless we're very busy bees, that will have to wait 
> for Drupal 7.

My concept also builds upons conditions. Perhaps I can help, so that we
could already get it into drupal 6 :)

If you are interested in my help on this - 
Where can I reach you for talking about this stuff?

regards,
fago