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#1 2009-10-01 02:55:04

maniqui
Member
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2004-10-10
Posts: 3,070
Website

keep "Extensions" tab always visible

I know that, when looking at the Plugins tab (Admin -> Plugins), plugins are disabled for security/stability/reliability reasons.
But I find it a little cumbersome to have to click on another tab (!= Plugins) to have the Extensions tab visible again.
If the Extensions tab is just a link, could there be the chance to have it always displayed? And, if clicked and no extensions installed, just a message: “no current extensions installed/enabled, visit the Plugin tab”

Just that. Not a big deal if this feature idea doesn’t get accepted :)


La música ideas portará y siempre continuará

TXP Builders – finely-crafted code, design and txp

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#2 2009-10-01 05:09:24

Gocom
Developer Emeritus
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 2006-07-14
Posts: 4,533
Website

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

As it is now, the Extensions tab has no placeholder event. What should the extensionless, aka currently eventless, tab do if clicked?

  • Load and redirect to the primary (loaded first) extension event?
  • Display a list of extension pages?

Last edited by Gocom (2009-10-01 05:10:09)

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#3 2009-10-01 07:48:18

trenc
Plugin Author
From: ⛵️, currently Göteborg, SE
Registered: 2008-02-27
Posts: 574
Website GitHub

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

There is hook for plugin developer in 4.2.0 to display a link to the plugin options in the plugin tab.
Only plugin developer have to use it (including me).

From the HISTORY.txt 4.2.0:

Developer: Optional capability to jump to a plugin’s options from the plugin tab. @see http://svn.textpattern.com/development/4.x-plugin-template/


Digital nomad, sailing the world on a sailboat: 32fthome.com

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#4 2009-10-01 11:14:13

jsoo
Plugin Author
From: NC, USA
Registered: 2004-11-15
Posts: 1,793
Website

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

trenc wrote:

There is hook for plugin developer in 4.2.0 to display a link to the plugin options in the plugin tab.
Only plugin developer have to use it (including me).

I’m certainly using it, currently on 4 plugins, using soo_plugin_pref to handle the UI and preference management.


Code is topiary

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#5 2009-10-01 13:41:02

Bloke
Developer
From: Leeds, UK
Registered: 2006-01-29
Posts: 11,448
Website GitHub

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

maniqui wrote:

I find it a little cumbersome to have to click on another tab (!= Plugins) to have the Extensions tab visible again.

Me too. I’ve often wondered if something as simple as leaving the Extensions tab available — perhaps only if there are plugins installed that use it? — would save a click. Like, I might go to Admin->Plugins, install a new version of a plugin and then want to go to Extensions->smd_where_used to check where I’ve used any tags that might need updating. At the moment I have to click somewhere else so Extensions appears, click it and then visit Where Used.

smd_where_used doesn’t have any plugin options as such, so it is not accessible from the new Options link (I suppose authors could ‘cheat’ and use the callback to simply jump to their plugin’s tab… though that might be considered odd usability?)

I don’t know how easy it is to implement this though because without any running plugins, no register_tab() callbacks are executed so the Plugins tab has no way of knowing — short of parsing each plugin — if there any plugins installed that use the Extensions tab. As you say, this could be bypassed by always showing the Extensions tab and just showing a ‘no plugins use this tab right now’ type of message in the unlikely event you have a site without any.


The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.

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#6 2009-10-01 14:11:02

jsoo
Plugin Author
From: NC, USA
Registered: 2004-11-15
Posts: 1,793
Website

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

Could make it an advanced pref, whether or not to always show the Extensions tab. Or an admin-side plugin…


Code is topiary

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#7 2011-08-06 16:38:14

WebKat
Member
Registered: 2007-01-16
Posts: 301

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

Old thread, I know, but this has always bugged me. I frequently want to go from the Admin to the Extensions tab. Why not have it there anyway? Could someone write a hack?



WebKat

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#8 2011-08-06 16:53:03

Gocom
Developer Emeritus
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 2006-07-14
Posts: 4,533
Website

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

OpalCat wrote:

Old thread, I know, but this has always bugged me. I frequently want to go from the Admin to the Extensions tab.

That is still because plugins can not be loaded on the Plugins pane, as there has to be a method for uninstalling rampaging plugin. True there is possibility of making a new registering method that plugin could use, same way as plugin have flags as of TXP 4.2.0.

Why not have it there anyway? Could someone write a hack?

As of TXP 4.2.0 plugin developers have the ability to add “Options” link to the list on the Plugins panel. Some plugins take advantage of that and use it to link to the plugin’s admin-side interface.

If that doesn’t fit, and you want the Extensions tab to be visible all the times no matter what, you can for example modify (or create a new admin-side) theme that displays the link in the navigation no matter what.

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#9 2011-08-06 17:10:59

uli
Moderator
From: Cologne
Registered: 2006-08-15
Posts: 4,306

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

OpalCat wrote:

Could someone write a hack?

Bookmark what you’d like to skip to. In Firefox, the icon bar is the most convenient place to keep it.


In bad weather I never leave home without wet_plugout, smd_where_used and adi_form_links

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#10 2011-08-07 06:22:30

colak
Admin
From: Cyprus
Registered: 2004-11-20
Posts: 9,090
Website GitHub Mastodon Twitter

Re: keep "Extensions" tab always visible

Hi Katherine

Install adi_notes and create a link to extension tab


Yiannis
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