[drupal-devel] [task] New layout module, looking for feedback
FactoryJoe
drupal-devel at drupal.org
Thu Mar 31 19:40:49 UTC 2005
Issue status update for http://drupal.org/node/18272
Project: Drupal
Version: cvs
Component: other
Category: tasks
Priority: normal
Assigned to: Anonymous
Reported by: nevets
Updated by: FactoryJoe at civicspacelabs.org
Status: active
Can we see a sandbox version to play with? Or perhaps even screenshots?
I'm working on this too and would like to see how you've approached the
workflow.
FactoryJoe at civicspacelabs.org
Previous comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2, 2005 - 12:20 : nevets
Attachment: http://drupal.org/files/issues/layout.zip (16.93 KB)
I have produced a new module for a site I am working on and would like
to share it with the Drupal community. While not quit ready for
release it is usable and I would appreciate feedback on how it fits
into Drupal, what is extra and what might be added.
An example of this in use can be found at http://test.wnpj.org (This is
a test site)
zip file attached with module, mysql file, default css file,
support.inc and installation instructions.
The module allows for breaking a page into sections similiar to the
sections module but with a finer control on content.
With it you can define one or more layout pages, each layout page is
then referenced by the name layout/pagename (pagename is something you
assign). For example, on the test site the layout page is called
frontpage and
under administer -> settings I have set
Each layout page is broken into sections. A layout page can be layed
out as either weighted rows (each section is one row in the output,
order is determined by weight) or in a grid, placing each section in a
row/column. In grid mode a section can span rows/columns. A section
can have an optional "tab" which is used to label the section on
output.
Each section can be broken into layout blocks which are layed out in a
row within the section. Each layout block can contain a 1) Drupal
block (add block)
2) a Drupal node (add node)
3) a mixes list of Drupal nodes (add node)
4) a list of Drupal nodes of a given type. (add list)
The difference between a "node" and a "list" is the degree of control
you have. When adding a node you can specify a single node or list of
nodes but the content is only changed by editing the list (or the
node).
With a list you can specify a table to join with (say event), specify
the sort order and add a customer where clause. So with a list you can
make a layout block that contains the list of events for the current
week.
So before looking at each of the parts in more detail, lets look at the
common features.
A layout page, section and block can be viewed by any one, only people
not logged in, only people logged in or people with a specified
permission. For a page, if it can not be views the user sees the
"Access Denied" page. For layout sections and blocks no output is
produced.
For layout sections and blocks you can specify a ccs class that can be
used to control the look of the section or block. So for example on
test.wnpj.org, Alerts have a css class specified for the section to
allow for a different color scheme than the rest.
Details for layout pages, sections and blocks. Items with a * have a
common footnote below on formatting control.
Layout page
Has a page name, used to access/display the page with the path
layout/pagename
Can specify a css file to include to control appearance of the page.
Layout choice (weighted rows, grid)
Permission controls
Layout section
*An optional "tab" header. Appearance controlled through css
A description (defaults to tab header). Used in adminstative
interface
An enable flag (only enabled sections show in the output)
Optional width (can be used to control the width of the section, also
can be done is css)
If weight row layout, a weight for the section.
If grid layout, a row, column, row span and column span.
(Note, if you change page layout type, existing data is retained so
if you switch back the old values are used)
Optional css class
Permission controls
Optional section header (if content). If specified and the section
has content, placed above the layout blocks.
Optional section header (if no content). If specified and the section
does not have content, the specified html is used
(Note: Can be used to make a section with fixed content like a
welcome message without making a node)
Optional section footer. If specified and the section has content,
placed below the layout blocks.
Hide if no content flag, if set and section has no content, "if not
content header" is ignored and section produces no output.
Layout block, common
Description - Used in admin interface to identify block
Weight - Determines order in section.
Enable flag (only enabled blocks show in output)
Optional width
css class
Layout block, type: Drupal block
Source block - drop down list of available blocks
Display control - Content of block only or title and content.
Layout block, type: Node (or list of nodes)
Node path list - a list of comma seperated nodes or path aliases (ex:
1,2,TaskForce,node/4)
Display control
Title
Content Only
Title and content
Full Node (display by node type)
Full Node with teaser (teaser instead of full body)
*Title source, used if 'title' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default @title@
*Content source, used if 'content' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default @body@
Limit Content, used if 'content' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default 0 (don't limit)
If set, only used specified number of characters from content.
Layout block, type: List
Source module - used to select type of node that will be displayed
Display control
Title
Content Only
Title and content
Full Node (display by node type)
Full Node with teaser (teaser instead of full body)
*Title source, used if 'title' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default @title@
*Content source, used if 'content' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default @body@
Limit Content, used if 'content' or 'title and content' picked for
display, default 0 (don't limit)
If set, only used specified number of characters from content.
'Sort by Sticky' flag, if set sticky items show at top of list.
Ablity to select on node status, promote (frontpage) and sticky (each
can be don't care, on, or off)
WARNING - the following options require some internal knowledge of the
selected source module
Optional join table, example for the event module this would be event
Allows limiting and sorting based on fields in the join table
*Optional custom sort: example for event module: "start"
Note: if 'sort by sticky' is set this appended to that.
Optional where clause: see 'formatting' header for example
Formatting tab header text, title, content and where clause
The basic forms are
text - just plain text, shows as entered
@field_name@ - field in node table and for list in join table (does
not apply to tab header)
Ex: @title@ uses the title field of node
{php code} - Output of php code is used
These can be combined, here are some examples from test.wnpj.org
event tab: Events for week of {layout_this_week_range(); }
See support.inc for layout_this_week_range()
event listing title:
{event_format_date_range($node);}{event_city($node, true);} - @title@
event_format_date_range() and event_city() are custom functions.
Note: There is a variable $node is scope at the time the function is
called
This contains the current node ( and for list the joined table )
event list where clause: {layout_sql_this_week();}
See support.inc for layout_sql_this_week()
Special note: By the time formatting happens title has been modified
to be inclosed in a link to the actual node.
Support.inc (preliminary)
Contains functions that can be used in formatting
layout_this_week($dow=1, $week_offset=0, $format = "")
dow - dow of week to use for date, defaults to monday
week_offset - can get date for week relative to this week
format - valid format to date function
if set, layout_this_week returns formatted date string
else layout_this_week returns a date
layout_this_week_range($week_offset=0, $format = "")
Returns a string in format "Start date - End Date"
week_offset - can get date for week relative to this week
format - If sepecified, start date and end date are formatted as
specifed
Otherwise if start and end date are in same year 'M j' is used the
format
Otherwise if in different years 'M j Y' is used for the format
layout_sql_this_week($clip=false)
clip - not yet implemented, purpose is to limit dates for today to
end of week
For use with event module, returns sql where clause that selected
entries only for current week.
layout_mixed_type($node) - EXAMPLE
Shows how one could format the title based on node type.
Output appearance
Fair degree of control in ouput controlled by css and theme functions
(Current version is preliminary and subject to change)
Using:
After installing the module and adding the tables to the database
Enable the module under administer -> module
This will add a new entry under administer called layout
From layout you add layout pages, sections and blocks
Once you add a page you can add sections.
Once you add a section you can add blocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2, 2005 - 13:09 : Dublin Drupaller
this looks superb.
Have downloaded and installed the module...but am slight confused how
to implement a simple test.
Can you outline step by step how to create a layout page test?
Cheers
Dub
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2, 2005 - 14:42 : nevets
How to setup a simple test.
First using just some nodes and blocks. You can either use existing
nodes or make some test ones, you need to know either their node id or
path alias (if path is enabled)
Lets say the nodes are number 10, 12 and 23 (Your nodes are likely to
be different)
Go to administer -> layout
Click on 'add layout page', give the page a name (probably should not
have spaces) and set the other options you want.
Save the layout page.
Now you can add a section to to the page.
Lets give it a tab, say 'Test layout', Fill in the other values as you
wish just make sure that enable is checked.
Save the section
Now you can add layout blocks to the section.
Lets add a node, click 'add node' (to right of section description)
Give it a descriptive name, select what you want to display (you can
come back and change this later)
Now set node path list, for now just type one of your node ids (or a
path alias)
For now leave the other options as their defaults
Save the layout block.
To test what you have so far, go to administer -> settings
Record what the value is for 'default front page' so you can set it
back later.
Change the value to layout/pagename where pagename is the name you
assigned to the layout page.
Save the settiings and go to the front page.
Your should see a single tabbed section with the text 'Test layout' or
what ever you typed.
The contents should be from the node you selected displayed by you
choice when setting up the node.
(Note the default tabs are pretty boring)
Now if you go back to administer -> layout you can add new pages, new
sections and/or new blocks.
Lets add a block to the existing section, click 'add block'
Give the block a descriptive name, pick a block to display (normally I
would pick one related to the node).
Set the weight negative to position the block to the left of the node
content, positive to position it to the right (This assumes you left
the weight for the node block at 0).
Save the block.
Now lets add another section and then add a node block
This time instead of single node type a comma separated list (ex
10,23,12 or TaskForce,23,Members).
Nodes will be listed in the order given.
Save the node
If you have layout set to 'weighted rows' for the page the order of the
sections will be determined by the weight.
Now lets add another section this time NOT setting the tab header and
placing text in the 'Section header (if no content)' text box.
If using weighted rows set weight to -10 and save the section.
The section can now act as a welcome block on the page.
For the node blocks you can play around with display option and see how
they change the contents of the sections.
That covers everything but the list blocks. A simple example if you
have the event module enable is add a list block to a new section.
Set source module to 'event'
Set display to your choice
Set join table to 'event'
Set custom sort to 'start'
Set custom where to '{sql_this_week();}'
Save the list block, this should give you a listing of events sorted by
date for the current week.
If you keep 'sort by sticky' set and any events for the week have it
set they will 'float' to the top of the listing.
You can also play with the statat, promote and stick value options.
While the list block is very flexable, it useful to know something
about the details of the node type to take advantage of the
flexability.
Hope this helps.
Steve Ringwood
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 3, 2005 - 10:26 : nevets
this_week_range(); s/b layout_this_week_range();
and
sql_this_week(); s/b layout_sql_this_week();
(Sorry about that, I had cut and paste from an earlier installation)
Steve Ringwood
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 3, 2005 - 11:28 : Boris Mann
nevets -- the description sounds very interesting. It would be great if
you were to apply for a CVS-account [1] and check your code in.
[1] http://www.drupal.org/cvs-account
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2005 - 16:36 : Steven
Doesn't this module do what collimator.module does?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2005 - 17:05 : steffen
This is truly a promising contribution, nevets!
1) How do I make a page only show the title and the excerpt for the
assigned node?
2) I specify one page with grids and add two sections. In one section I
put a node, and in the other I put a list.
In the node I have specified 1 row, 1 rowspan, 1 column and 3 colspans.
In the list I have specified 3 rows, 1 rowspan, 3 columns and 1
colspan.
The result is that I get one long list, with the node on the top, and
the list vertically underneath. Shouldn't the result be one node on the
top, and a list in a 3x3 grid underneath?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2005 - 19:20 : nevets
If by 'How do I make a page only show the title and the excerpt for the
assigned node?' when you say excerpt you mean teaser, set display type
to 'title and content' and set content source to '@teaser@'
For the second question and the section for the list you wrote: 'In the
list I have specified 3 rows, 1 rowspan, 3 columns and 1 colspan.' and
ask 'Shouldn't the result be one node on the top, and a list in a 3x3
grid underneath?'
Only if you set rowspan to 3, the row variable specifies the starting
row, the row span the number of rows.
Note the end result will effectively be a grid with 2 rows (node
section and list section) and one column since they both span 3
columns.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2005 - 19:26 : nevets
Regarding the collimator module, though you could probably reproduce
part of the behaviour with the layout module (it will not make the
multiple page) they do serve a different purpose.
The layout module will allow a more arbitrary layout of content in the
page and allows for combining the output from a single node, list of
different node types, lists of nodes of a given type and also the
content of blocks,
When listing nodes of a given type you have control on how to filter
them (the where clause) and how to order them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2005 - 23:42 : ramdak5000 at www.drupal.org
I haven't tested the module, but, going by your description, it sounds
great and what many people have been asking for, including myself.
Can the module reference the taxonomy? We had a discussion
(http://drupal.org/node/16426) where we wanted a kind of an index page
automatically set for a vocabulary and grids on that page to
automatically pulled in and displayed content from the vocab terms (not
on the left and right side blocks). On urbanvancouver.com, for example,
that index page would be 'neighbourhoods', with grids or whatever to
display direct links to content posted under each neighbourhood
category.
Addditionally, some of us suggested that the breadcrumb trail
automatically reflect this hierarchical structure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 7, 2005 - 17:59 : Fool2
Doing taxonomy might be possible with the table join function, but I
haven't figured it out yet. My website is organized according to
taxonomy, so this is a big thing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 14, 2005 - 14:33 : steffen
Another issue regarding this very promising module:
When listing nodes from a taxonomy, the module doesn't separate between
the languages. So that if you have nodes in three different languages,
every node will be listed three times, in three different languages.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 15, 2005 - 10:37 : jasonwhat
This does look great. I see how to set "events" as a list, but the,
blog nodetype doesn't have its own list. How do I set blogs as the
type for a list, i.e.-"Featured Blogs"? Controlling by taxonomy would
be great also.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 15, 2005 - 11:37 : chx
Fixed the various fields: title, category and version.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 18, 2005 - 09:56 : jasonwhat
where is the "fixed" version? Does database need updated for this or
just the .module file? thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31, 2005 - 06:05 : chx
jason, I fixed the fields of the issue, not the module itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31, 2005 - 09:33 : jasonwhat
Does anybody have this working on their site?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31, 2005 - 09:49 : leafish_dylan
I'm interested in testing this, because it looks very interesting. Is
there any chance of it being "fixed" to work with 4.6's new SQL
functions?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31, 2005 - 09:56 : leafish_dylan
Sorry, I changed the title by mistake.
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