Evaluate best way to migrate the PHP portal

[mdoering]

Evaluate what’s the best way forward to migrate the existing CoL portal to the new infrastructure.
Finding the balance between the least amount of resources needed to keep essential features of the current portal working on the new infrastructure, i.e. db model or webservices. Document key requirements for a new portal, including:

• resolution of taxon IDs (can we drop LSIDs?), see Define objective rules for taxon concept identity #6
• serving data of historic annual editions, see Discuss if stable taxon ids are sufficient to support a single, dynamic taxonomic catalogue #12
• existing URLs to be kept
• is internationalisation truely needed from the beginning? see Is internationalisation of CoL portal crucial and document URLs to be kept #14

Based on that there are 2 main options to consider:

1. Update the current PHP portal code to
   • Use the new database model for SQL queries or better instead the new API
   • Deal with deleted taxa in portal
   • Resolve stable taxon ids
   • Show and mark provisional data
2. Rewrite the portal in the same JS framework used for the Nomenclator
   • Reuse the existing portal url layout, html & css to save efforts
   • consistently use new API
   • Consider if internationalisation is needed

[deepreef]

I would advise dropping LSIDs, but maintaining the underlying UUIDs. In doing so, there will need to be some mechanism for tracking the version numbers, but probably only when values change. Also, the original LSIDs (plus version components) should be indexed in BioGUID, so they can be redirected to the new endpoint in case anyone tries to track them down.

[mjy]

I too would drop LSIDs. Maybe a sore point for some, but a clean slate. Beyond the tree navigation structure I don't see much complexity in replicating what is there. I would vote for a complete cleanslate rewrite (Vue.js is our new hotness, or @dimus likes Elm). I'd get the APIs working first, then just write widgets on top of it to interact with the page. Make those widgets plugable into other tools. Follow the OTOL model (or heck, use the OTOL model).

[mdoering]

we will rewrite the portal from scratch, copying many existing features