Possible addition to the news module?

[rubberglover]

Hi guys,

Been using CMSMS for many years now and it's a great CMS. It's main strength for me is the ease of adding, structuring, and editing a site page structure. For more frequent updates, such as news or upcoming events, I use the News module and separate the entry types with categories.

Point 1. Clients often ask for specific fields when making these kind of posts, so I was wondering if it would be possible to associate custom field definitions with a certain category? The fields that are available when making a post would then change when the user chooses a category from the drop down, much like the page editing section does when you change template. This would really enhance the flexibility of the news module. It would mean that the user could have custom fields that are specific to the category they are posting to, making for a more bespoke admin area.


Point 2. This could be part of a wider discussion... if the site admin had control over all of the fields that were available in making 'news' posts, the 'news' module would be incredibly versatile, such much so that it could probably be renamed 'posts'. Here's what I mean:

Let's say that when the user creates a news category, they get complete control over which content fields are available when making posts to that category... even down to 'summary' and 'content'. If you start with a blank canvas you could use this module for ANY kind of regular post. You could make a category that has no summary or content fields - just a series of checkboxes, or a two simple text fields and a drop down menu with definable options.

It's all about making a more bespoke feeling site that you can hand over to a client without having to say "you make all regular posts through the news module - just type what you want in the summary and content fields". Most of my clients don't have much design sensibility and the more you can tailor the system to their specific needs the better, eg. adding upcoming events via the news module would require custom fields for 'title', 'price', 'time', 'location' and 'description' in that order, and adding a news post to the site would require the standard 'summary' and 'content' fields.

I suppose this is basically just an idea for a new module altogether, but I'm a pretty shabby developer and wouldn't be able to tackle it myself! Anyone got any thoughts on this?

[Jos]

My opinion is that one should use a module for what it is ment to do. So for upcoming events you use CGCalendar. For a product catalogue you don't use Gallery 

On first notice it would be nice to have such a flexible module as you described. But then I suppose we do not honour the word Simple anymore. Should CMSms be renamed to CMS Made Flexible 

[JeremyBASS]

Hmm.. I've been wanting Point 1 as well.. you should make a FR for that... it's a good idea..

FWIW for me the simple and flexible are one in the same... but simple is taking something that you can get nitty gritty in and just make it work what out getting in the nitty gritty... for ex... Gallery is a good mod, but as we have both seen people are trying to shove gallery and supersizer together because it makes the end simpler and each are geared to one task and does it well.  Being all that as a mod dev of a few I have been trying to make it easy for other mods to use them... that is also simple... My2Cents Flexibility begets simplicity. 

[Nullig]

@JeremyBASS and rubberglove

For point 1, you can create all of the additional fields you could possibly use, then use different form templates for different categories. I have done this before.

Nullig

[JeremyBASS]

well I do that now, but the user is presented all at time of edit... it'd be nice, and I know it'd take the same action as a content change for in editing a page, but it'd be nice to choose a cat and have only stuff for that cat pop up... I know for sure that in news based site this would be really handy...  just wishfull thoughts

[Jeff]

Item #1 can be done with templates and smarty no need for any modifications to the module.

[JeremyBASS]

Item #1 can be done with templates and smarty no need for any modifications to the module.

You mean to present the additional fields right???... upon editing you still see all of the additional fields?  So if I had 50 of them... and there was  10 cats that had 5 fields  each.. When editing or adding you'd see all 50... I swear that was what I saw when I tried but it's been a bit... If I'm not mistaken then you'd need to have a modifications to the module to only show additional fields that referrers to a cat... this would make things simple for clients editing.. 

[Nullig]

You can change the form template for each category and only show the extra fields related to that category. I do that all the time.

Nullig

[JeremyBASS]

hmmm... um which template... I had no idea that changing the db templates would affect the way the edit area is laid out.  Can you put up a screen cast... but I swear we are not talking about the same end of things..I'm talking and interpreting Point 1 as admin output not frontend output. I read Point 1 as the change would need to be lower to knock items out of the admin templates well editing ... I feel all turned around lol... are we talking about the same thing?    I guess I’d just need to read the code to know for sure… oh well… if I’m off I’m off -J

[Nullig]

I'm talking about frontend user templates for submitting news articles.

Nullig

[JeremyBASS]

oic I think Point 1 was gear to the back, well I didn't read FEU so I did think about that.. even if it does or doesn't that request would still serve the back end which is something I'd love to see added... like Jos said the goal is for simplicity and it's simpler to edit if there was the ability to tie a FD to a cat so you didn't see 50 option when only 5 apply.  But I guess this is all My2Cents   cheers -Jeremy

[Jeff]

Just use the module_custom folder to add a custom template in the admin. Then write some jscript to make the correct divs display for the category selected. It will be a little more difficult since the backend doesn't have customfieldsbyname, but it is still do able.

[JeremyBASS]

... but it is still do able.

Yeah true, and that right there is totally why I agreed with rubberglover's point... I'm lazy and just want access to a hide fields by cat option for the admin side... I bet that option could be done quickly and would allow it to be handled both way.. All I know for sure is I like it simple and hate have to work around all the time...