CMS Made Simple Forums

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:35 am**

Ok, let's give it a try... Of course, you are aware of the fact there's a whole new bunch of questions to come if I go down that road?

I'll install LI2 and play around a bit. Before that, what about "If you are looking for Field Definitions like GBFilePicker Upload, Gallery Options, FEU Dropdown, Color Picker install ListIt2XDefs module first"? That's what I should do in the first place, right?

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:42 am**

Yes

Install LI2 and LI2Xdefs and GBFilePicker

Then in LI2 (under extensions) scan for Field Definitions and check that GBFilePicker is available.

Then create a LI2 instance and find that under 'Content' menu. There you can configure that instance, its fields and templates etc.

Also check the GBFilePicker options (extensions menu again). IIRC you need the first checkbox checked to enable editors uploading files.

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:33 am**

Done! Well, almost done...

This "Item" tab in LI2, what should I use it for? Or it was meant for editor to use it?
OPTION A:
- I create an item named "pdficon" and later call it in some way into News module article admin panel?
OPTION B:
- I create everything else but leave "item" for editor to create?

Could it be used with News module articles in the first place? If not, it means the editor should do two separate actions for one article - first, to create an article, and second, to pick up desired pdf document. If that's so, where should I put LI2 tag for my instance?

Forgive me on this avalanche but I have so many questionmarks hanging over my head now! This LI2 thing handles things in a different manner than the most of the modules I'm using on regular basis... Or maybe it's just me? Anyway, there was a comment on this forum I must agree with - documentation of LI2 should be more beginner-friendly instead of presuming we all know much more than we do...
But nevertheless, I see this module could be potentially very useful for me, not just for this site but in the future too. Just like you've said - I'll probably use it more often after this!
Right after I figure out how to "bridle" it!

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:22 am**

Items is where the editors add the articles. So make sure they can add the text and select a PDF file for each item.

You can use it vary similar to News module, but with lot more options.

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:44 am**

Very well then... What about existing News articles? Should I suggest to the editor to switch to LI2 from now on? And I guess I should add an extra tag to my page templates to call LI2 articles as well?
If we switch to LI2 instead of News module for ALL of the future articles, what happens with old articles already published on the site? For example: The landing page on this site is called "News" and it contains all of the News articles regardless of it's category. If I add LI2 tag to my template, would it interfere with News tag in the front-end, in any way?

Posted: **Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:32 pm**

Didn't think about the existing items.

But indeed, you can call both the {News} tag and the {Listit2yourinstancename} tag.

It would be better to migrate all the old articles to LI2 however, I don't have a solution on how to do that (but manually).

First make sure the LI2 module is working for you.

Posted: **Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:36 pm**

Hello again!
This LI2 is really powerful! Also, it's totally screwed up when it comes to setup!!! I have spent most of the last night trying to figure out how to make it work and finally I did it! Or, at least, I've figured out how it works... I have a few minor problems, mostly coding stuff.
Here we go (first, let me explain where I am right now)...

I have created LI2 instance named "ListIt2Article" and it contains following fields:
- category,
- date published (select date/time type),
- article photo (select file type),
- summary content (text area type),
- detail content (text area type),
- pdf download (GBFilePicker UploadFile type).

These fields can cover all of the items from the old articles from News Module. Since I have two types of articles (one: image+summary+detail; two: summary+pdf document), I need some conditional calls in my template. For example: first type of article uses all fields except "pdf download field", second type of article uses all fields except "photo" and "detail". I'm using one summary and one detail template and I would like to hide fields if they are empty, I'd like to hide "More" link if there's only summary content in the article (no detail content is necessary if there is a pdf document for download), and I would really like to see the image in the front-end instead of "missing image.gif"!

Here's the part of my summary template where all the problems are:

Code: Select all

{if $fielddef.value && $fielddef.type != 'Categories'}
	{if $fielddef.type == 'SelectFile' || $fielddef.type == 'FileUpload'}
	<div class="itemPhoto">
		<img src="{$fielddef->GetImagePath(true)}/{$field->value}"/>
	</div>
	{elseif $fielddef.type == 'SelectDateTime'}
	<div class="itemPostdate">
		{$fielddef.name}: {$fielddef.value|cms_date_format}
	</div>
	{elseif $fielddef.alias == 'summary'}
	<div class="itemSummary">
		{$fielddef.value}
	</div>
	{elseif $fielddef.alias == 'detail'}
	<div class="itemDetail">
		{$fielddef.value}
	</div>
	{/if}
{/if}

and this is the part of "More" link:

Code: Select all

<div class="itemMoreLink">
	<a href="{$item->url}">Detaljnije...</a>
</div>

I know this can be solved with a few variables but I don't know how to write them and I have failed in "try and error" approach...

BTW, there is no problem to keep old News Module articles for awhile as well because new articles from LI2 are newer by their date of publishing and we can spend some time on migrating the old ones to LI2. Easy going task for long and cold winter nights...

So, if you can spend some time with this to provide an accurate set of vars or to tell me what am I doing wrong - please, feel free!
Best regards and thank very much you on your suggestions and help once again!
Jakovbak

Posted: **Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:42 pm**

Glad you see the power of LI2!

Looking at your template I think you're using the foreach loop that loops through the fields. Nice for a sample template but not very easy to customize your needs.

As you created the extra field definitions, you know how they are named (alias).

Then you can use them inside the templates:

Code: Select all

{if $item->fielddefs.alias->value}
  {$item->fielddefs.alias->value}
{else}
  ...
{/if}

Where 'alias' of course is the alias of the field definition you've created.

So you can first check IF it has a value, and if so use that or do something else like showing/hiding the more-link.

{$fielddef->GetImagePath(true)} would become {$item->fielddefs.alias->GetImagePath(true)} I think (again replace 'alias' with your specific alias)

Copy the sample template for later reference!

Posted: **Wed Nov 13, 2013 5:56 pm**

Yes, sample template was my starting point... It was copy/paste to new template so the original template was left untouched. So, if I delete opening and closing foreach tags and rewrite my conditional tags, that should work? I'm asking because everytime I try to change some vars, I get several smarty errors before I figure out what's wrong or what's missing...

After I'm done with this, I'll check how it works with pdf downloads and I'll get back to you with results or more questions!

Thanks and have a nice rest of the day!
Jakovbak

Posted: **Wed Nov 13, 2013 8:46 pm**

No, no, no! Just can't make it work! Either I get smarty error (usually unclosed else tag) or my article in the front-end goes empty - no content at all except article title and "more" link...

Here is my Summary template just like it was before I've killed foreach loop and tried to call field definitions conditionally (div class names are exactly the same as custom fields aliases!):

Code: Select all

{if $items|@count > 0}

	<div class="listitPagination">
	{if $pagecount > 1}
	<!-- pagination -->
	<p>
		{if $pagenumber > 1}
			{$firstpage}&nbsp;{$prevpage}&nbsp;
		{/if}
			{foreach from=$pagelinks item=page}
				{$page->link}
			{/foreach}
		{if $pagenumber < $pagecount}
			&nbsp;{$nextpage}&nbsp;{$lastpage}
		{/if}
	</p>
	<!-- pagination //-->
	{/if}
	</div>
	
	<!-- items -->
	{foreach from=$items item=item}
	<!-- item -->
	<div class="listititem">
	
		<h2 class="item-title">{$item->title}</h2>
	
		{if !empty($item->fielddefs)}
		<!-- field definitions -->
		<div class="item-properties">
			{foreach from=$item->fielddefs item=fielddef}
	
			{if $fielddef.type == 'Categories' && ($fielddef.value != '')}
	
			{ListIt2Loader item='category' force_array=1 value=$fielddef.value assign='cats'}

<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS START HERE -->	
			<!-- categories -->
			<div class="categories">
				Kategorija: {$cats|implode:','}
			</div>
			<!-- categories //-->
			{/if}
	
			{if $fielddef.value && $fielddef.type != 'Categories'}
				{if $fielddef.type == 'SelectFile' || $fielddef.type == 'FileUpload'}
				<div class="photo">
					<img src="{$fielddef->GetImagePath(true)}/{$field->value}"/>
				</div>
				{elseif $fielddef.type == 'SelectDateTime'}
				<div class="published">
					{$fielddef.name}: {$fielddef.value|cms_date_format}
				</div>
				{elseif $fielddef.alias == 'summary'}
				<div class="summary">
					{$fielddef.value}
				</div>
				{elseif $fielddef.alias == 'detail'}
				<div class="details">
					{$fielddef.value}
				</div>
				{/if}
			{/if}
	
			{/foreach}
		</div>
		{/if}
<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS END HERE -->	
		<div class="itemMoreLink">
			<a href="{$item->url}">More...</a>
		</div>
	</div>
	<!-- item //-->
	{/foreach}
	<!-- items //-->

{/if}

This image call doesn't work either:

Code: Select all

{$item->fielddefs.photo->GetImagePath(true)}

I've noticed default summary template is using fielddef but Velden's code uses fielddefs. Maybe a stupid question but can someone tell me the difference and purpose for each of them?

One more thing... GBFilePicker doesn't show pdf document in the front-end...

Thank you for helping me and good night!
Jakovbak

Posted: **Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:43 pm**

There's a whole lotta foundering happening here for a simple problem IMHO.

a: News can have multiple file field types. It just 'owns' its attached files, you don't link to them. Meaning you have to upload the PDF File.
b: News has a flexible summary and detail view.

Here's a simple example of how I created a link to a PDF that opens in a new window using the News detail template.

Code: Select all

{if isset($entry->fields)}
  {foreach from=$entry->fields item='field'}
     <div class="NewsDetailField">
        {if $field->type == 'file'}
          {if endswith($field->displayvalue,'.pdf')} {* could use some other mechanism here, I just remember the built in function 'endswith' *}
            <span>PDF ICON GOES HERE: <a href="{$entry->file_location}/{$field->displayvalue}" target="__blank">{$field->displayvalue}</a></span>
          {else}
            <img src="{$entry->file_location}/{$field->displayvalue}"/>
          {/if}
        {else}
          {$field->name}:&nbsp;{eval var=$field->displayvalue}
        {/if}
     </div>
  {/foreach}
{/if}

Posted: **Thu Nov 14, 2013 3:24 am**

You can use CSS for identifying different file formats and attaching link icons too

http://www.psyked.co.uk/css/auto-matic-link-icons.htm

Posted: **Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:57 am**

You just don't get the idea, which I understand. Let me try to explain:

The sample template is there as an example (duh..). As the developer of the module does NOT know if YOU are going to use custom fields he has to check for that:

Code: Select all

{if !empty($item->fielddefs)}

Then, if they DO exist, he can't know WHAT their names are. So the only option he has is to loop through all of them:

Code: Select all

{foreach from=$item->fielddefs item=fielddef}

(do you see the fielddefs and fielddef here? The fielddefs is the orginal variable/property/whatever that comes with the LI2's item object. But as we create the foreach loop we take only ONE of the fielddefs and name it fielddef. For each iteration that is.)

Now your case: YOU have created all extra field definitions so YOU know what their name/alias is. You know what type it is. You know where you want to display the information and how. So you don't have to foreach-loop through the fielddefs. You just use them where you need them.
If you do NOT make a field required you can check whether it has a value

Code: Select all

{if $item->fielddefs.ALIAS->value}
  <div id="ALIAS">
     {$item->fielddefs.ALIAS->value}
  </div>
{/if}

Did not test code:

Code: Select all

{if $items|@count > 0}

   <div class="listitPagination">
   {if $pagecount > 1}
   <!-- pagination -->
   <p>
      {if $pagenumber > 1}
         {$firstpage}&nbsp;{$prevpage}&nbsp;
      {/if}
         {foreach from=$pagelinks item=page}
            {$page->link}
         {/foreach}
      {if $pagenumber < $pagecount}
         &nbsp;{$nextpage}&nbsp;{$lastpage}
      {/if}
   </p>
   <!-- pagination //-->
   {/if}
   </div>
   
   <!-- items -->
   {foreach from=$items item=item}
   <!-- item -->
   <div class="listititem">
   
      <h2 class="item-title">{$item->title}</h2>
   
      <!-- field definitions -->
      <div class="item-properties">
   
<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS START HERE -->   
         <!-- categories -->
         <div class="categories">
		    {ListIt2Loader item='category' force_array=1 value=$item->fielddefs.categories.value assign='cats'}
            Kategorija: {$cats|implode:','}
         </div>
         <!-- categories //-->
   
            <div class="photo">
               <img src="{$item->fielddefs.photo->GetImagePath(true)}/{$item->fielddefs.photo->value}"/>
            </div>
            <div class="published">
               {$item->fielddefs.published->name}: {$item->fielddefs.published->value|cms_date_format}
            </div>
            <div class="summary">
               {$item->fielddefs.summary->value}
            </div>
            <div class="details">
               {$item->fielddefs.details->value}
            </div>
      </div>
<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS END HERE -->   
      <div class="itemMoreLink">
         <a href="{$item->url}">More...</a>
      </div>
   </div>
   <!-- item //-->
   {/foreach}
   <!-- items //-->

{/if}

Then regarding calguys comment:

I don't think News module is suitable in this specific case because:
- pdf files are already present in uploads directory and it was not the plan to let editor upload them iirc.
- News modules is called 'News' in the menu and as far as I know you can not rename that.
- It can not use GBFilePicker (which might not be a requirement but is a nice feature)

Posted: **Thu Nov 14, 2013 11:59 am**

@calguy1000
Hello calguy1000!
First, thank you for all those great modules and turorials and thank you also for your suggestion on this issue. I don't know if you saw the beginning of this topic but to make the long story short - I have started with News module but I thought manipulating pdfs would be too complicated for editors. Then I've reached for LI2 module and realised it's much closer to what editors would like to use but also missing some nice features from the News module.
So I would definitely give a chance to your solution because all of the existing articles were created via News module. In case this would work the way I need it to work it would be great because I wouldn't have to worry about migrating old articles to LI2.

@chandra
Thank you for the tip, it could be very useful in limiting chances for editors to screw up the front-end! And they have talent to do so in most unthinkable ways!!!

@velden
Thanks for clearing this for me! I get the general idea but I don't know jack about syntaxes and how to use them... I can do some minor tweaks and that's it. This was obviously not such a case but I was arrogant enough to believe it is!

Following your guidelines, I have changed my template (now it's proudly named "KaliVeldensTemplate"!) and now the front-end looks exactly as I wanted and exactly as News module articles look like.
Still, I haven't resolved showing image and pdf yet... There is questionmark gif instead of an image and a written path to pdf document but not the document itself. Guess it's LI2 specific syntax or something similar but I'm not able to figure it out. Here's the template:

Code: Select all

{if $items|@count > 0}

	<div class="listitPagination">
		{if $pagecount > 1}
		<!-- pagination -->
			<p>
				{if $pagenumber > 1}
					{$firstpage}&nbsp;{$prevpage}&nbsp;
				{/if}

				{foreach from=$pagelinks item=page}
					{$page->link}
				{/foreach}

				{if $pagenumber < $pagecount}
					&nbsp;{$nextpage}&nbsp;{$lastpage}
				{/if}
			</p>
		<!-- pagination //-->
		{/if}
	</div>
   
	<!-- items -->
	{foreach from=$items item=item}
		<!-- item -->
		<div class="listititem">
   
			<h2 class="item-title">{$item->title}</h2>
   
			<!-- field definitions -->
			<div class="item-properties">
   
<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS START HERE -->   
				<!-- categories -->
				<div class="categories">
					{ListIt2Loader item='category' force_array=1 value=$item->fielddefs.categories.value assign='cats'}
						Kategorija: {$cats|implode:','}
				</div>
				<!-- categories //-->

				<div class="published">
					{$item->fielddefs.published->name}: {$item->fielddefs.published->value|cms_date_format}
				</div>

				{if $item->fielddefs.photo->value}
				<div class="photo">
					<img src="{$item->fielddefs.photo->GetImagePath(true)}/{$item->fielddefs.photo->value}"/>
				</div>
				{/if}

				{if $item->fielddefs.details->value}
				<div class="summary">
					{$item->fielddefs.summary->value}
				</div>
				{elseif $item->fielddefs.summary->value}
					<div class="summary">
						{$item->fielddefs.summary->value}
					</div>
				{/if}

				{if $item->fielddefs.pdfdownload->value}
				<div class="pdfdownload">
					{$item->fielddefs.pdfdownload->value}
				</div>
				{/if}
		</div>
<!-- MY CUSTOM FIELDS END HERE //-->   

		{if $item->fielddefs.details->value}
			<div class="itemMoreLink">
				<a href="{$item->url}">More...</a>
			</div>
		{/if}
	</div>
	<!-- item //-->
	{/foreach}
	<!-- items //-->
{/if}

@EVERYONE
At this point, I prefer LI2 over News module. Why? Experience I guess... When a client asks for something new, it's never really just a one thing and a one thing only. Usually, a bunch of new requests follow right after I solve the first one. And it's not just about client's demands or needs, it's also about what the editor is capable of - even more important, what he/she is not capable of! With LI2 I feel more comfortable in case of some new and unpredictable requests are about to come.
However, I'm planning to explore calguy's method too, to get the wider picture of it's use and capabilities for the future. Maybe we end up with two different solutions for almost the same thing, who knows? Maybe both solutions can be used in various circumstances and the ability to choose the one that meet your needs better in any given situation is IMHO much better than tearing one module apart and trying to "rebuild" it's features to suite your needs.

CONCLUSION
Some fine-tuning of my LI2 instance is yet to be done.
Exploring calguy's method is yet to be done.
Final report on both methods to be written.

Big THANKS to all of you who contributed to solving this issue in any way!
Have a nice day and best regards,
Jakovbak

Posted: **Thu Nov 14, 2013 9:30 pm**

Oh, there's one more issue with LI2... No matter what I do, I can't force it to sort the articles by custom field "published"... Is it even possible? It's a SelectDateTime field and for testing purposes my last article was anti-dated and whichever parameter I use, this article is always on the top of the list. Which means the articles are still sorted by creation date, not by custom field...
Any ideas?

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