I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

Deathbliss · 2009-11-12 18:54:57

OK, so by mistake I put a hold on and received a copy of Textpattern Solutions. My site, which had been up for roughly ten years, was taken down by my host, Gamespy, when they decided they were no longer going to provide hosting services. So I’ve been looking for a host, finally found one, and now am looking for a CMS. I have decided to start over. Textpattern looks good, but I need to know a few things:

1. I understand that you can have sections and categories in Textpattern. Is it possible to have say a Review section, with it’s own custom form for data input? If so where could I find a detailed tutorial covering the steps need to create this? The book does not seem to have the information I need.

2. The book does cover in some detail how to customize the appearance of your site, but are there any tutorials available with greater, more comprehensive detail?

I think that covers it for now. I appreciate your time and any help -
- Deathbliss

MattD · 2009-11-12 22:37:59

1. Not out of the box but there are plugins to customize certain aspects of the write tab per section like sed_section_fields

2. Textbook is the best place for documentation. TXPTips is also a good resource as well as these forums.

jakob · 2009-11-12 22:55:07

Is it possible to have say a Review section, with it’s own custom form for data input?

Matt’s suggestion refers to hiding certain parts of the write-tab that are not relevant to that section in the backend.

If you want other people to be able to submit reviews or absolutely must have a custom form for it, you can use mem_moderation (in combination with mem_moderation_article and mem_form) to set up a form on the front end (which you can design more or less how you like). People can submit a review and the data is put into a moderation queue for review by an admin. If everything’s okay, the admin accepts the article and it automatically goes online as a textpattern article. It works very well but I’ll be honest, it is not the easiest thing to set up as a beginner.

uli · 2009-11-12 23:08:57

Third! ;)

Is it possible to have say a Review section, with it’s own custom form for data input?

Yes. If you your website is article based. Files and images aren’t commonly seen as full-fledged.

Have a look at the Write-tab screenshots of two sections. These are two sets of the same form elements. Your users achieve the changes between the two sets by merely switching between two sections in the sections dropdown menu on the right hand side.

(Or Jakob’s proposal: Build everything from scratch for entering data on the front side of your site.)

If so where could I find a detailed tutorial covering the steps need to create this? The book does not seem to have the information I need.

Don’t underestimate the power and versatility of this slim CSM. TXP is not a jigsaw puzzle, you can combine its elements in almost endless ways like LEGOs. So please describe your needs, and we’ll help where we can.

The Solutions book isn’t meant to explain the use of plugins. A handful of these were needed to customize the write tab:

glz_custom_fields (for the radio buttons, dropdown lists, additional text area),
sed_section_fields (for switching between several section specific sets),
rah_status_dropdown (for making a list of status radios a select menu),
msd_admin_colorpicker_plugin
bot_hide_per_section (for hiding something that dropped out of my mind ;)

Last edited by uli (2009-11-12 23:16:03)

Deathbliss · 2009-11-13 20:38:28

I’ll try to be more clear…

I don’t necasarily need to enable users to submit or write their own reviews (although that could be nice). I just need to be able to do so myself as an admin. So for this review form or page template or whatever it would be called I would need to add the following information:

Name of Map
Name of Author
Author’s e-mail address
Author’s website
Download link

Namer of reveiwer
Reviewers e-mail address

Intro title
Into body
Intro pictures

First section title
First section body
First section pictures

so on and so forth – however many sections I need until

Conclusion

Comment title
Comment author
Comment author’s e-mail address
Comment

I would want all of this to be entered in seperate feilds, including a browse to upload button for the images and spam/bot protetction on the e-mail links. I’ve been looking for a CMS that could do this for a long time – basically alow you to create your own custom page templates for whatever kind of page you want to create. Textpattern looks close, but considering this information, will it work for me?

Thank you for all your replies and help so far -
- Deathbliss

whaleen · 2009-11-13 21:27:14

browse to upload button for the images

1. Upload through Content > Images tab
2. http://utterplush.com/txp-plugins/upm-img-popper to add them to your review (Article)

I would want all of this to be entered in seperate feilds

Default custom fields or glz_custom_fields

Comment title
Comment author
Comment author’s e-mail address
Comment

Mostly built in I believe but…

Textpattern looks close, but considering this information, will it work for me?

It can do everything you ask and with the aid of plugins can extend to do things more efficiently. You should test it out and start reading textpattern.org where a lot of plugins are that have addressed the kinds of things your wondering about.

Once you learn the basics of TXP you’ll begin to understand how to implement what you need. There are many ways to do things with TXP and that is reliant on a little research and learning on your part. I’m guessing that a gallery plugin of some kind might be of use but you might consider building that in last so you can get up to speed on how TXP works. Just some suggestions. Good luck.

Also, maybe try starting out with the default custom fields and then get glz_custom_fields when you need it.

uli · 2009-11-13 22:58:48

Deathbliss wrote:

So for this review form or page template or whatever it would be called I would need to add the following information:

In this forum and the information sources around TXP you’ll find it as the “Write tab”.

Name of Map
Name of Author
Author’s e-mail address
Author’s website
Download link

Namer of reveiwer
Reviewers e-mail address

All: custom fields of apparently one article on the write tab (See my screenshots, most of the text inputs in the left column)

First section title

section tag

Intro title
Into body
Intro pictures

First section body
First section pictures

Conclusion

Each block: Separate articles and their fields.

Comment title
Comment author
Comment author’s e-mail address
Comment

Comments are article related. Comment titles are not covered by any tag, I think not even through a plugin.

including a browse to upload button for the images (Alternative/additional option to whaleen’s proposal, image uploads from the write tab)

spam/bot protetction on the e-mail links

Last edited by uli (2009-11-13 23:03:52)

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#1 2009-11-12 18:54:57

I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#2 2009-11-12 22:37:59

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#3 2009-11-12 22:55:07

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#4 2009-11-12 23:08:57

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#5 2009-11-13 20:38:28

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#6 2009-11-13 21:27:14

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

#7 2009-11-13 22:58:48

Re: I am thinking of moving to Textpattern, but I have a few questions:

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