News Versus Events Listing

[KitchM]

We have a need to have a page that lists notifications of events, but I am not sure which module to use.

Because Event Listings seems to have an installation bug, it won't work, even though it looks like just the thing. Because News appears to only be shown on one default page, it cannot be repurposed to do double-duty as an events lister.

Does anyone have any ideas of some solution for our problem?

Thanks all.

[Dr.CSS]

Have you looked at http://dev.cmsmadesimple.org/projects/listit2 ..?

[KitchM]

Yes, Dr., I did. However I could make neither heads nor tails of it. There are no instructions, and the only video is in such high resolution that I could not read the text. So I figured that it was not yet ready for prime time.

Thanks.

[velden]

Re-consider ListitExtended. It is ready and not that hard to understand.

[zaidcrowe]

@kitchm

ListIt is very much prime time - try spawning a listit2 instance, and then look at the documentation in module help for the module you create - you should find this way more helpful.

In general - its by far one of the better doc'd modules!

[KitchM]

Thanks for the good suggestions. Here are a few of the questions that were raised by an intital review of that module:

1. "ListItExtended"
I thought is was ListIt2. Is there something I should add?

2. "The web developer defines fields to constrain what data the client can enter." Constrain? I don't understand the use of that word in this context.

3. "A number of field types can be specified - text input, checkbox, text area, select date, upload file, select file, dropdown"
Is there a list?

4. " - and additional instructions can be set for each type, for example, input field size, max length, WYSIWYG editor, possible drop down values, possible file extensions, directory paths for file selections, date formats, etc.."
Why would one need to create instructions?

5. "To create ListItExtended module Instance, simply go to "Instances" tab and click on "Create Instance" button."
Why does on need to make separate modules? Why doesn’t this module contain everything that is needed?

6. "To change the icon, replace /modules/ListIt2NameOfDuplicate/images/icon.gif.
To change Admin section of the module, simply select appropriate section from Dropdown."
Why does the user need to change the icons and admin section of it?

7. "The first thing you should configure are your field definitions."
It earlier said to first create an instance.

8. "{ListIt2Loader} What does this do? This plugin allows you to load ListItExtended item and category object by certain criteria, anywhere in the system."
Does this indicate that one needs to install another module?

These are just some of the questions that came up when first I looked over the help sections. Again, the videos are not usable.

Thanks again to all of you.

[uniqu3]

If you came up with some many questions and all the help included is useless and you simply can not follow what is suggested to do, then i have to say that this module is not for you.

[velden]

1: ListitExtended aka ListIt2 aka LI2. Pick your name
2: I don't know. Using the module will make it clear.
3: Yes: Extensions -> ListIt2 -> Field Definitions (tab)

Optionally you can get even more field definitions after installing other modules. (For example module GPFilePicker). To get those optional field definitions you need to install the optional module ListItExtended XDefs

4: Hints for editors who will be entering items into the list(s)

5: because you can create as many instances as you would need to have! Great isn't it? For example: one list (instance) for a slideshow, one list for a page with links, one list for a portfolio. Every instance will appear in the 'content' menu and you can give it an appropriate display name. Your editors will love that!

6: (this one was new to me). Why not? If you think 'content' menu is appropriate, don't change it.

7: obvious: 'after creating a new instance'. But maybe you first want to create multiple instances first and then configure their field definitions. Or maybe drink some coffee first, it's up to you

8: Another great feature of this module. You don't need another module for this. If you don't understand (yet) what it's for, don't mind. Maybe you never gonna need it. Just remember there is a way to get an LI2 item/category OBJECT.

I take time to answer your questions because it's a very very very useful module. I have built few sites NOT using this module.

I'd suggest to just start using this module and see how useful it is.

[KitchM]

@velden:
I am learning to count on you to be most helpful. Here is what I learned from your good answers:
While the author(s) were not clear, the basic idea is that the name of the module is used differently in different places, and that it does not matter. They are all actually meaning the same thing. (Good to know.) Also, their odd use of words may not make a difference. (English is not first language, maybe?) I'll just try it as is.

One can use this module by also making it available to "sub-editor" people or users who might be given access to this part of a website, and they can be given little bits of hints to prompt them as they add content to the applicable sections with the use of the so-called "instructions" portion of the module. That could turn out handly.

The module use of the word "instance" means basically a whole layout for any entered content. One may have more than one arrangement or layout of content in various pages of the website and presented by the same module at the same time.

It does not make any difference whether the user sets up the "instance" or the contained "fields" first.

I hope I summarized it correctly.

I threw in the XDefs module in case I need it at some point.

You have given me some encouragement to try it out. So I will assume that it becomes apparent as I go.

Thank you very much indeed.

[velden]

The module use of the word "instance" means basically a whole layout for any entered content. One may have more than one arrangement or layout of content in various pages of the website and presented by the same module at the same time.

I don't think so.

An instance actually is a module on its own. Own set of field definitions, own set of items, own set of templates etc.

If you want different 'layouts' for a specific list (=instance) you can use the templates of the specific LI2 instance.

Hope that makes sense.

[KitchM]

So creating an "instance" is actually creating a new "module" in the Modules listing? And the ListIt2 module creates these for the webmaster. Might they be considered "sub-modules" of that one?

This is a very important distinction in the eyes of the users.

[KitchM]

Wow, using ListIt2 was not what I expected at all. It does not follow the normally expected behavior of modules, in that it actually creates other modules in other places.

I did the instance creation thing and then found that a new module with that name had been created under Content. Then I was able to use it, and received much more detailed help and instructions within the new module. That should have been clearly explained upfront, but was left out for some reason.

Only when one reaches that point are directions given to implement it into ones content. So I recommend anyone who wishes to use the module to create the instance, and then look for a new module under Content and go from there. Otherwise one will experience the same false start I did.

In trying to use the first video in the new help area (and there were lots of them), I found that part of the it had been properly zoomed for viewing, but the person kept forgetting to zoom other parts to make them visible. Hopefully, the rest of the text will make it unnecessary to need the videos anyway.

Thanks again.

[uniqu3]

ListIt2 Module help clearly states:

This module is a Control Panel for creating ListItExtended Module Instances. To create ListItExtended module Instance, simply go to "Instances" tab and click on "Create Instance" button.
Make sure you follow the CMSMS module naming conventions, a-z with no punctuation characters or spaces to be safe
After the module has been created a new instance will be installed and listed in original ListItExtended module under "Instances" tab.

You can always change the module friendly name once installed under "Options" (Content » ListIt2NameOfDuplicate).
To change the icon, replace /modules/ListIt2NameOfDuplicate/images/icon.gif.
To change Admin section of the module, simply select appropriate section from Dropdown. Make sure you clear the cache after these changes.

If you would of followed help as written instead of assuming to much things and asking questions before trying what was written in module help, you would of figured it out much sooner.

Regarding Help improvements and video quality, i hope you DO realize that complete Module, Module Help and Videos are created in our FREE time, if you want to improve it please be my guest, send us better help to provided email address in the Module help or create module wiki at https://github.com/IDT-media/ListItExtended/wiki or record better videos with better quality (our wishlist would be maybe a professional voice narrator, some professional intro and outro) and we will happily include these.

[KitchM]

@uniqu3
Please don't take things so personally. If you put something out on the Internet and you think it is ready for people to use, you had better be ready for some constructive criticism.

From what I can gather, you assume everyone thinks the same as you do. That is incorrect.

Am I to understand that you are the author of the software module? You never mentioned that. If so, then you should welcome help on this, rather than being upset. Many of us have a lot more experience in documentation and usability design, and can help a great deal.

In particular, please note that the portion you quoted has been read by me many times, and I want you to realize that it gives no steps to start using the program. You should have noticed that first. You should have also noted that the word “instance” is not a specific term to most computer users in the world, and there is absolutely no relationship between it and creating a new module.

My personal opinion is that you should have called it a module creation program. That would have set the stage for what was actually happening, especially since what your software creates are modules that are added to CMSMS. Also, you should note that there are few, if any, add-ons that do such things as creating other add-ons, so I hope you can understand the confusion.

As I implied, I am more than willing to help with this if I am asked.

[paulbaker]

Definitely give ListIt2 a go, I didn't realise how useful it was until I took the time to understand it. It's called ListIt because it's essentially a way of controlling and displaying lists of things.

But, given that the requirement is "a page that lists notifications of events" I suggest you consider module CGCalendar. This is an event calendar with loads of templated output options including a "upcoming" events list. I use it a lot.