Documentation for Uploads Module

[outasight]

I'm considering whether to use the Uploads module but would like to know more about it:
1. The "Help" available in the "module manager" section is more detailed than some other modules but it looks like it's a fairly complex module to start with.  Is there any other documentation on this module?
2. Does anyone know of some sites that are using the uploads module and that could serve as a demo of the functionality?

    Some of the other modules I'm trying to find out more about are: "Articles" and "File Manager".  If anyone could point me to any well-organized documentation on either one of these I'd appreciate it.  I've dug around in the forums for all this info and the info is just not very readily available.   

Thanks for any help.

[Pierre M.]

Hello,

I'm not sure this is very helpfull, but... try to find (with Google) a post from Calguy explaining how to use uploads with some download restriction to 127.0.0.1 hence htaccess "allow from" combined magic.

Pierre M.

[hj]

I think you will have problems finding what you call "well organised" documentation.  I've been trying to use the Uploads Module but found the help file little use in telling me how it works or how to use it. Yes, it had lots of parameter advice and technical so on, but little basic 'How Do I Use This Module' assistance.

I'm afraid this is a failing of CMSMS in general, or at least I and others have found it to be: a lack of clear guidance to help people build sites quickly and 'simply'.

Note: after installing the Uploads Module, look for a new link in your admin under  Content > Front End File Manager (Uploads).  I discovered, quite by accident as the help file never mentions it, that this is the nerve centre of the Uploads Module!

I can't say I've cracked it yet, nor have I got a live site running with it, but if I can be of any help please feel free to send me a private message.

rgds
HJ

[michaelwalker]

Coming very late to this, but since the thread exists...

I'm also trying to fathom the documentation for the Uploads module, with difficulty.  Under 'How do I use it?', for example, it says: " Then add a tag into a page or template somewhere like {cms_module module="Uploads" category="somecategory" mode="somemode"}. Where mode matches one of the modes listed below."
However - there are no 'modes listed below' - or not that I can see. Anyone know where this list of modes might be found?

Basically, all I want to do is to show front end visitors a page that allows them to select one gallery from the several available and upload an image to it.  I'm sure Gallery and Uploads between them can manage this, but I can't seem to work out the necessary tag to realise this.  Any help appreciated.

[jmcgin51]

@michaelwalker:  from the Uploads module help:

mode="summary" -

    * detailed - Display a detailed report for a single upload.
    * single - Alias for the detailed mode.
    * upload - Display a form to allow a frontend user to upload a file
    * url or link - Display a link to a file
    * summary - Display a summarized list of all files in the specified category

Basically, all I want to do is to show front end visitors a page that allows them to select one gallery from the several available and upload an image to it.

To make this work well, you need to set up Uploads categories and Galleries in conjunction with each other.  i.e. an Uploads category called 'cats', and a Gallery called 'cats'.  Another category of 'dogs' and a Gallery of 'dogs'.

You then need to first allow the visitor to select the desired gallery.  Depending on what you want, this could simply be a link that opens a page with the appropriate Uploads call, or it could load the selected Gallery and the Uploads call together.  The example below would apply if you're calling the selected Gallery on the same page as the Uploads call.

Then you need the Uploads call for that page, which would look something like {cms_module module='Uploads' mode='upload' category=$gallerytitle file_extensions='jpg,gif,png'}.  This will display a form that will let a FEU upload a jpg, gif, or png into the Uploads category that matches the name of the Gallery title for the Gallery called on that page.

If you just wanted to display the form, without the Gallery, you would link to the form page like this: Upload a photo of a cat, and then on the form page itself, call Gallery like this: {cms_module module='Uploads' mode='upload' category=$smarty.get.gallery file_extensions='jpg,gif,png'}

There are probably other, more glamorous ways to accomplish this, but this should get you started in the right direction.

[michaelwalker]

Thanks jmcgin51 - nothing like making a t1t of your self in public, is there? 

I have already made some categories, and what I want to do is display the gallery at the top of my page, just using a simple {gallery} call, then, underneath that, offer the user the option of uploading his or her own image to any one of the categories, which, I hope, they will be able to select from a list of those available, or by clicking a link.  From what you've said, it doesn't sound as though this is possible in exactly the way I've described it, so maybe I will need to re-think this to achieve a similar result.  Thanks v. much for your assistance.

[jmcgin51]

you could do it via the second example I showed:

On the first page:
{Gallery}
Upload a photo of a cat
Upload a photo of a dog
Upload a photo of a horse
Upload a photo of a octopus

On the form page itself:
{cms_module module='Uploads' mode='upload' category=$smarty.get.gallery file_extensions='jpg,gif,png'}

This way, the form displayed on the form page will upload the photo to the correct category (i.e. folder) in Uploads.  Since your Galleries and Uploads are linked (because you set them up thusly), each Gallery will show the photos from the appropriate Uploads folder.

[michaelwalker]

Many thanks - I'll give it a whirl.  That sounds as though it will pretty well do what I want, so thanks again.

[jmcgin51]

And if you're really clever about it, you can probably autocreate the links, rather than hardcoding them as I showed, which would make administration much easier as new Galleries are created in the future.

It would be something like:

{Gallery}
{foreach from $objectrepresentinglistofallgallerytitlesgoeshere item=gallery_title}
Upload a photo of a cat
{/foreach}

[michaelwalker]

Thanks for the suggestion - appreciated.

[Jos]

It would be something like:

{Gallery}
{foreach from $objectrepresentinglistofallgallerytitlesgoeshere item=gallery_title}
Upload a photo of a cat
{/foreach}

That would be more like:

Code: Select all

{Gallery}
{foreach from=$images item=image}
	{if $image->isdir}
	<a href='yoursite.com/path/uploadpage?gallery={$image->title}>Upload a photo of a cat</a>
	{/if}
{/foreach}

But that will give you only a list of the subgalleries that were called by the {Gallery} tag. You won't see any sub-subgalleries, nor the parentgalleries.

[jmcgin51]

thanks Jos!  I (obviously) haven't used Gallery much, but I read very good things about here on the forum!  And the documentation (wiki) is EXCELLENT!  I wish every module author supplied such information...

[michaelwalker]

Hmmm.  Well - nearly there.  Since I'll only have four galleries, I decided to try the hard-coded method that jmcgin51 first suggested.

So, I have (on my first page) this:
{Gallery}
Please choose a gallery to upload to
One
Two

on my first page, which works fine.

Then, on the images-2 page, I have the suggested line:

{cms_module module='Uploads' mode='upload' category=$smarty.get.gallery file_extensions='jpg,gif,png'}

Clicking a link (One or Two) takes me to the Upload page.  However, when I then select a file for upload, and press 'submit' I get:

"Error: Insufficient parameters supplied to module!
Missing param is: category"

I guess it's some elementary blunder I'm making, but would be grateful for any suggestions!

[jmcgin51]

and your Gallery names (titles) are really "one", "two", etc?  If yes, make sure the case is correct (uppercase/lowercase).  i.e. if you supply a category value "one", but the real category name is "One", *nix systems will not recognize them as the same.  Windows usually doesn't care.

[michaelwalker]

Thanks, but I've checked and the case does not appear to be the issue.  If I include the {get_template_vars} tag in my second page, I can see that the variable 'category_name' is not populated -the link on page one doesn't seem to be passing the information through to page two.  What's odd is that, if that were the case, I'd expect to get my error message earlier in the procedings (i.e. on clicking the first link).