OpenAid

Idea 5 for WordHack 2010 was an Open Aid Projects site, built in WordPress, that imported data from an XML file released by the Department for International Development.

Original idea: IDEA 5: Commentable WordPress site based on Government data

Transparency is one of the high priorities of the new UK government and the Prime Minister has promised that government will publish a wide range of datasets by the end of 2010. The Department for International Development (disclosure: where I work) has promised to release reusable data on UK aid projects by January 2011.

This WordHack would attempt to create a commentable WordPress site based on XML data from DFID (this is not the final data format, but would be good enough for a WordHack protoype). The aim of the site would be to allow the public in both the UK and developing countries to comment on specific DFID projects.

I'd like to:

Create a new Custom Post Type for a DFID Project, to capture the key project attributes released in the XML file.
Write a plugin to parse the XML and to create a Post for each <project> node in the XML file, and populate the correct custom metadata. Also populate tags and categories based on project attributes (e.g. country, region, aid sector).
Have an "update content" button that can add new nodes when the XML file is updated.

Personal note: this WordHack would join both my day job in DFID with my interest in WordPress - this is a very topical issue and could have other applications across government datasets.

Originator: John Adams (@johnthegeo)

Initial research

This WordPress Support thread contains a very rough example of a plugin to import XML and create a post with post attributes. May give us some ideas, although not configured for a Custom Post Type.

The FeedWordPress plugin may also provide some ideas, although I notice that it's broken in 3.0.

Components of the solution

1. XML Transform

Pulling XML from DFID source data, transforming to the target XML structure. Also adds meaningful content for both country and sector information, based on lookup xml files.

Exported XML

<project code='' uri=''>
    <title />
    <country code='' />
    <description />
    <sectors>
        <sector code='' group='' name='' percentage='' />
    </sectors>
    <totalBudget />
    <expenditureToDate />
</project>

Credit: Paul Bunkham, [http://twitter.com/wordhackuk Shaun Hare

2. Import XML into WordPress

Simple rules...in pseudocode

if the project already exists (project code exists)
    if content has changed
         update content, create new post revision
else
    create a new project

Credit: Chris Northwood

3. Custom Post Type

The custom post type will contain

Project (component) code
Project (component) title
Project purpose (description)
Country
Input Sector(s)
Financial
- Total approved budget
- Actual expenditure to date

Credit: Richard Tape

4. Theme

Theme to provide a clean user experience, to include mobile theme for use by citizens of developing countries.

Front page shows most recent comments with link to the project being discussed. Keeps dynamic. Also shows lists of countries and categories (for aid geeks = "sectors").

Credit: Michael Bailey

5. Comments related to revisions Every time the XML file updates the data for a project, the project post will be versioned. This plugin links comments to specific post revisions.

Credit: Kieran O'Shea