[development] Configurable content types in core

[Derek Wright]

On Aug 6, 2006, at 5:36 PM, Neil Drumm wrote:

> - Start moving fields module towards core, only 4 weeks left.

sorry if i'm missing something, but it doesn't seem like the existing  
CCK (the 4.7 version i'm testing) exposes any of the fieldset  
functionality (title, weight, collaps(able|ed), etc).  i think this  
is a critical feature, and i'd like to see it in 4.7 CCK as much as  
in core.  if not, i'll probably write my own custom node module in  
4.7 for the new project i'm working on, since fieldsets will be  
essential.  is there already an issue/patch for this?  i couldn't  
find anything searching the CCK issue queue, but advanced search  
doesn't always work. :(

> If a feature is basic functionality which most people will use,  
> prefer adding it to the most logical module (and conditionally  
> including any appropriate code), instead of adding another module.  
> If a computer can decide if code needs to be included or not, it  
> will probably be smarter than a user.

+1.  in general, this is a very wise approach.  definitely all of the  
fields included in core should be in 1 module, along with the  
fieldset functionality. ;)  however, why keep content.module and  
field.module separate at all?  why not have 1 module for all custom- 
content-type code in core?

> The real question is, should we have fields always be configurable  
> or should the be a global switch (a module) to turn them off?

you could still have a global setting that wasn't a whole new module,  
which conditionally removed pages from the admin menu and UI  
elements.  however, a separate module would probably be cleaner.  i  
haven't studied the current iteration of the CCK schema, but i'm  
assuming it's still a fairly sizeable collection of tables.  leaving  
it separate from node.module keeps all the DB install/update stuff  
out of the way for sites that don't need it.  i'd vote for a single  
content module outside of node for everything CCK-esque going into  
core (with a bunch of .inc files in the same directory... ahh, i'm so  
glad we did that). ;)

that said, i think CCK as it stands now is missing essential  
functionality, and there are still quite a few bugs.  i'll do what i  
can, but i've got my hands full with way too many other drupal  
things.  no one should mistake this for me complaining about any of  
the work anyone's already doing/done, but there's a lot to do, and i  
know i can't personally devote myself wholeheartedly to it in the  
next 4 weeks.  so, i'd like to 2nd dries's plea for more help making  
this happen. ;)

thanks,
-derek (dww)