Support datasets linked via submodules

[Floppy]

An idea: load dataset info from submodules, so that metadata can be loaded from a separate repository, not repeated in the JKAN one. Would be useful if combined with loading from things like datapackage (as mentioned in #72). Means that releasing a new version of a package involves a submodule update, but that's not too bad and no harder than updating the current item. I've done dataset and collection loading from submodules in a previous project, so it's certainly possible...

[timwis]

Hey @Floppy, that's a clever idea! Do you happen to know whether Github Pages' built-in Jekyll builder supports submodules?

EDIT: It doesn't look like GitHub's API lets you alter submodules :-/ Not sure how a user would do that outside of the command line?

[Floppy]

It does indeed - I've used it in a couple of sites now, including pulling into _data and collections.

[timwis]

Wow - okay, I'll have to try this out!

[timwis]

Say, @Floppy, would you mind throwing together an example? I'm having a hard time visualizing it (and it doesn't help that I seem to forget how to use gitmodules every time all over again).

Also just realized that it may be okay that GitHub's API doesn't let you alter submodules, since, as I understand it, you could do it by just editing the .gitmodules file like you would any other file. Could be something here!

[Floppy]

See http://github.com/somethingnewuk/somethingnewuk.github.io for my experiments so far...

[waldoj]

This is a really clever idea!

[Floppy]

There is a bit more of a writeup of my experiments with submodules and datafiles here on the Jekyll forum.

[Floppy]

Oh, and one other thing. We've got a tool called Bimble which is a script designed to update Gemfiles; it's on my list to extend it to submodules (and launch it as a CI-style service), meaning it would be easy to keep the references up to date.

[timwis]

@Floppy, this is really clever and might be a game changer. I'd love to talk through this a bit in the gitter next time you're about.