Patterns Exporter

Hi Vaish,

thank you for your reply, I've been looking at the patterns code and here is my idea how patterns export could be handled:

• Extension of hook_patterns(): we can add an operation called 'exports' which maps the forms the hook can export to functions that can handle it. Here is how it could look like:
  
  function profile_patterns($op, $id = null, &$data = null) {
  switch($op) {
    ...
    case 'export':
      return array(
        'profile_field_form' => 'profile_patterns_export_field_form',
      );
    ...
  }
}
  
  Patterns module will then add an "Export" button/link in the supported forms using hook_form_alter(); clicking "Export" will invoke the respective handling function (in this case profile_patterns_export_field_form()). Or we could also create hook_patterns_export() for this very case.
• Patterns export handlers: in this case profile_patterns_export_field_form(); it will load the programmatically the form retrieving all its fields' values. The function will then map field values with the patterns XML tags that the importer expects to find.
• Export management page: for a faster usage we could provide a way to export all the forms by listing them in one single page.

I have just had a really quick look to the module's code, could this be a way to implement the export functionality?