DenkWerkZeug (DWZ)

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Posted by jperlman
Apr 2, 2015 at 02:58 AM

I found this interesting application just recently, and I really wanted to share it with everyone here. I have been looking for something like this for ages, and as I know Information Management is something that gets to habit, I like learning about such applications. I recently wrote the author of the application, because I did not know how to describe it and wanted to mention this forum so he could further elaborate in his detail about such a wonderful application but havn’t been able to get in touch. I have been feeling a little guilty to not use the application until I shared it with those here, since I waited a few days.

It is an information management application that uses a concept of Networked or Linked Information. It also uses Wiki concept, and as well a Graph Visualization of the linked data - also, it uses a Semantic means of linking that information that is not at all complicated or difficult to learn. The application is very straight-forward to learn. There are some instructions as well, but because of the straight-forward nature of the application it is not at all time consuming to pick-up.

It runs in the browser and has a server that runs on the desktop. It is easy to run, as all that is needed is to download the application and issue a simple command to get it running… command-line prompt:> java -jar appname.jar ... It will open a browser window automatically, and there are some instructions in the shell where the app is run from towards the end of startup, you may want to write that down as it explains how to shutdown the server from outside of the application, as I explain further down.

There is a feature to import RDF - Resource Description Framework files. and I think there is a feature to export, too.

You should save your work through the web interface before you close the application, which can also be done through the Web interface in your browser on your desktop. Also, when you startup the application, through the CLI - or command line interface, or Shell Prompt on Windows, it has instructions after the file goes through sometime initiating, at the end it says how to shut down the application from outside of the application, just in case you need to do that.

One other thing, don’t try to run the application by double clicking on it in Windows, through the desktop, I made that mistake once.

One last thing, save the bookmark of the page when it first opens in your browser, so if you close your browser then reopen it, you will be able to reach the application once again. And don’t forget to save your work, there is no autosave feature yet, as it is still being developed, and it is very functional.

software application main website:
http://denkwerkzeug.com

blog:
http://news.denkwerkzeug.com/

what is DentWerkZeug:
http://news.denkwerkzeug.com/2014/02/what-is-denkwerkzeug.html

I hope I did justice to with my explanation in my own words. I just wanted to share this find with all of you. I know Information Management is an interesting topic here in the forum.

-jperlman

Posted by Franz Grieser
Apr 2, 2015 at 09:18 AM

Thanks for pointing us to DenkWerkZeug.

What is it that happens when you double-click the application in Windows?
And have you ever used ConnectedText - and how does DenkWerkZeug compare to that?

TIA, Franz

Posted by jperlman
Apr 2, 2015 at 11:30 PM

Hi Franz, I’ll explain what I did and what happened to me.

It is recommended from the instructions to run the DenkWerkZeug from the command line, but I accidentally clicked on it yesterday, and it would not open the browser window. So I then went to command line, I tried to run the application by issuing command. At the very end of the text that displays on running the script, it says that DenkWerkZeug is already running. So I was unable to run the application, even if I opened the browser windows to the specific web page (initial start page) which I had bookmarked before, as it recommended.

Actually, on running the Java file from the command line, it will explain towards the very end of the script that if you need to actually shutdown DenkWerkZeug, you can shutdown the server process in through the web based interface to the server. It gives instructions in the command line, through that last part of the script displayed, what URI address to enter in the browser, to access the server process, and how to shut it down from outside of the program as an alternative way to do it..

My problem was that this time around, I had nothing I could do… I had to reboot my Windows machine.

If you start it from the Command line, you should have it much easier than this as it is running through the shell.

So far I have not had a problem running from the command line. I tried it again just to test and see if I could run it by double clicking on it from within windows dektop, and this time around it worked. and started the browser window for the application, but the other way, on the command line is how it is explained how to run the DenkWerkZeug from the instructions. Maybe I am over doing this in explaining, but I thought I would explain my experiences only from a single user barely beginning with looking at the app. I did the first tutorial a few days ago, when I first saw the program..

One last thing, too, is that I read somewhere, I think in the blog or in the main website, or in the instructions, I am not sure where, that if DenkWerkZeug does not start second or subsequent time around, it explained with regard to some files for the program, to do manually, but I don’t remember what or how. Sorry for this, maybe this was for the older versions, or maybe it still holds, but it seems to be working properly, so I don’t complain. If I find what I read, I will try to explain.

As for ConnectedText. I purchased it some years back, and I really liked it, I have not stuck with it, but I will look at it again and see it to think more about this.I remember ConnectedText from long time back, it is very thorough application, and many and much to learn about. I liked the fact about the web export of the work and wiki connected nature of the pages without specific order, just link new pages, and what initially got my attention was the graph visualization of ConnectedText.

As I said, I was looking for something Web Export and non hierarchical.

I havn’t had a chance to look at DenkWerkZeug, so I will and am very enthused by it, especially because of its Semantic nature and graph visualization, and its wiki nature as well. But I think maybe it be better for more people to look at the program and write about it and their experiences with using it.

Hope this helps…

-jperlman

Posted by Franz Grieser
Apr 4, 2015 at 08:30 PM

Thanks jp

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