Imports

net-carver · 2010-10-24 21:01:48

All

quick admin interface cleanup idea…

Could the Admin > Import tab please be hidden if not needed? I’ve never needed to migrate anyone over to Txp from another platform yet — though the day may come. So most of the time there’s a tab, a file (textpattern/include/txp_import.php) a sub-dir (textpattern/include/import) and its contents that are totally unneeded by my sites. Even better — I’d like to be able to flip a ‘Enable XML-RPC Server’ type preference to ‘off’ and then delete the aforementioned directory & files without anything being flagged up in the diagnostics page.

Would this be useful to other Txp users?

thebombsite · 2010-10-24 22:02:34

As far as the “Enable XML-RPC server?” preference is concerned Steve, there already is one on the “Advanced” page and if my memory serves me correctly, if it is set to “off” you can delete the directory. I seem to recall that being sorted some time back. I’ll see if I can find it.

net-carver · 2010-10-24 22:17:38

Hi Stuart,

As far as the “Enable XML-RPC server?” preference is concerned Steve, there already is one on the “Advanced” page and if my memory serves me correctly, if it is set to “off” you can delete the directory. I seem to recall that being sorted some time back. I’ll see if I can find it.

Yes, I know, I was just using that as an example. I’m really asking for a pref that’s similar to that one so that I can totally remove the ‘import’ related files and not have Txp complain about it but just stop showing the import tab under the admin interface.

thebombsite · 2010-10-24 22:24:19

I promise I won’t say another word Steve. ;)

net-carver · 2010-10-24 22:26:52

Humbug :)

If it is a useful idea do say so.

maverick · 2010-10-24 22:31:02

Being more clueless than not on coding, could the import function be handled as an officially maintained plugin that is installed by default but then you just have to delete it?

thebombsite · 2010-10-24 23:05:13

Well you wouldn’t have to delete it per se, just switch it off, a little bit like rvm_maintenance or mem_templates for example. Plus the “Import” tab could move to the “Extensions” tab.

maverick · 2010-10-25 00:21:42

good point – it would give the choice of turning it on or off. And the idea of being able to move it to the extension tab is a good thought as well.

net-carver · 2010-10-25 10:33:10

I think it would generally be more useful as a post-install ‘opt-out’ rather than an ‘opt-in’ via plugin installation. If someone wants to migrate from, say, Wordpress then should we make them go through the totally unfamiliar ground of plugin acquisition, installation and enabling in order to import? I’d have thought that it’s easier just to have a core option that experienced installers can just uncheck on the prefs page before they remove un-needed files.

Perhaps having the ‘Allow Imports’ option unchecked by default on fresh installs would be a good middle-ground. Folks importing from other blogs would only have to go to the Admin > Prefs page and change one setting then.

phiw13 · 2010-10-25 12:11:51

net-carver wrote:

I think it would generally be more useful as a post-install ‘opt-out’ rather than an ‘opt-in’ via plugin installation. If someone wants to migrate from, say, Wordpress then should we make them go through the totally unfamiliar ground of plugin acquisition, installation and enabling in order to import? I’d have thought that it’s easier just to have a core option that experienced installers can just uncheck on the prefs page before they remove un-needed files.

Perhaps having the ‘Allow Imports’ option unchecked by default on fresh installs would be a good middle-ground. Folks importing from other blogs would only have to go to the Admin > Prefs page and change one setting then.

Those 2 paragraphs are a bit of a contradiction, isn’t it? If you want to be ‘txp-newbie’ friendly, have the pref checked ‘on’ by default. And then make it easy to turn the option off. I don’t think the idea of a separate plugin is any good at all.

(I don’t have any firm opinion on the need to turn it of or not. That particular tab is not in my way, and I’ve only used it twice I think. Once for a wp import, once for importing – eh, I forgot the name of that thing that was popular early on in the blogging wave, the sixapart blog thing.)

net-carver · 2010-10-25 12:32:43

phiw13 wrote:

Those 2 paragraphs are a bit of a contradiction, isn’t it? If you want to be ‘txp-newbie’ friendly, have the pref checked ‘on’ by default. And then make it easy to turn the option off.

Probably — as I usually do, I was developing my thoughts in type. :) Paragraph two was, as it said, suggesting a possible middle ground. Having the option ‘on’ by default is my preferred solution.

I don’t think the idea of a separate plugin is any good at all.

+1

(I don’t have any firm opinion on the need to turn it of or not. That particular tab is not in my way, and I’ve only used it twice I think. Once for a wp import, once for importing – eh, I forgot the name of that thing that was popular early on in the blogging wave, the sixapart blog thing.)

Right — it’s used so infrequently that I would like to be able to remove it from the UI + installs rather than having to tell folks to ignore it. I could hide it in the admin interface with CSS I guess but I’d like to remove the unused code from my installs too without missing files warnings coming up.

redbot · 2010-10-25 13:55:42

Hi Steve,
this won’t solve the “unused code” issue, anyway you can get rid of the tab modifiyng admin_config.php (or using bot_privs)

maverick · 2010-10-25 18:00:03

I’m not vested one way or the other. Just thinking out loud. I generally operate on the idea that everything should be re-examined periodically to see if previous thinking and practices are still valid.

net-carver wrote:

If someone wants to migrate from, say, Wordpress then should we make them go through the totally unfamiliar ground of plugin acquisition, installation and enabling in order to import?

Understandable. That was behind my thinking in suggesting the import be an officially maintained plugin, and that it be installed by default, (or, even better would be a link to an auto-installer).

That would make it easy to find (in the tab), and install/enable (click the link or button).

phiw13 wrote:

I don’t think the idea of a separate plugin is any good at all.

Fair enough. As I said, I was thinking out loud, and wondered if there was merit.

I am curious how much it is used, and how trouble free the process is. I’ve never used it yet .

I think I recall discussions that indicate the importer works much better for some conversions than others. EE for example required several work arounds (I think – there was a tutorial somewhere online at one time).

Given other discussions regarding what is necessary to the core and what could be moved to plugins, this seems somewhat along the same lines. For example – comments. I’ve generally been adverse to moving comments to a plug in. (Though I’ve been warming up to the idea of an officially maintained basic plugin and the ability to upgrade to more complex options).

One of the arguments for moving comments out of the core install is that a number of people use them. Yet I suspect far more people may use the comment function of Txp than use the import function. (Total speculation there – just a gut feeling).

Plus, as net-carver noted, once you use it, you generally don’t need it anymore.

Thus, while it is basic for migration, it really isn’t basic to the day to day function of Txp, or its core features.

(I’d actually view an “export” feature as more basic to the core than “import”.)

The thought crossed my mind that targeted plugins might actually make a better new user experience — e.g. a word press importer, an EE importer, etc. Of course the extra labor required to have specialized plugins, with developers who keep them up to date is challenging in a project the size of Txp, and is probably not the best choice.

As a tangent, I suppose the import function is an argument to keep comments in the core since a number of imports would have comments, and there needs to be a place to put the incoming comments without send someone looking for a plugin first. . .

anyway – just some rambling thoughts, fwiw. :)

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#1 2010-10-24 21:01:48

Imports

#2 2010-10-24 22:02:34

Re: Imports

#3 2010-10-24 22:17:38

Re: Imports

#4 2010-10-24 22:24:19

Re: Imports

#5 2010-10-24 22:26:52

Re: Imports

#6 2010-10-24 22:31:02

Re: Imports

#7 2010-10-24 23:05:13

Re: Imports

#8 2010-10-25 00:21:42

Re: Imports

#9 2010-10-25 10:33:10

Re: Imports

#10 2010-10-25 12:11:51

Re: Imports

#11 2010-10-25 12:32:43

Re: Imports

#12 2010-10-25 13:55:42

Re: Imports

#13 2010-10-25 18:00:03

Re: Imports

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