Link plugin request

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:03 pm

Hi there

I've made a new website for a client using Serendipity as a framework as the brief was to deliver a website they could easily update themselves.

You can see it here at http://rumguides.com

You'll see I've made all the navigation using the sidebar HTML nugget plugin. My concern is that my client will find it much too difficult to update the links. Would it not possible for somebody much smarter than I am to make a plugin to produce something similar?

I know there is already a 'link list' plugin but it has quite a 'technical' look.

thanks

Dave

judebert · Post by **judebert** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:05 pm

Neat website, and a nice theme, too.

What are your requirements? Just a plain <UL> of links with a title and some CSS classes assigned? Or do you want to be able to edit the CSS from the plugin, and add links by selecting them from the list of blog entries?

judebert · Post by **judebert** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:15 pm

Or, since I noticed all your links come from the blog itself: how about a modification to the Recent Entries plugin that restricts it to a list of categories? Then making a new link is as simple as adding an entry to that category. You could even keep multiple lists, since Recent Entries allows multiple installs.

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:20 pm

Hi Jude

thanks

I guess what I'm thinking of is someway the client can do what I've done but without knowing any HTML. They won't need to edit the CSS but if the classes are there I can style them before I deliver the website. If the link plugin allowed them to enter:

Sidebar heading
section header
link name
link address (from list of entries)

in some simple manner then I'm hoping they won't be so freaked out as they were when I told them (and sent simple instuctions to add to or change) it was just a bit of HTML.

cheers

Dave

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:22 pm

Hi Jude

guess we both posted at around the same time

I started out with a category list but they decided they didn't want that - although they liked the combined pages that the category method uses in the menu bar

Dave

judebert · Post by **judebert** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:00 pm

Hmmm. The trouble as I see it is trying to allow a variable number of entries in this listing, and allow for inserting and deleting the entries. I'll take a look at other existing plugins, but if someone else wants to make a run at it, please do.

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:35 pm

Hi Jude

I wondered if it wouldn't be possible to amend Matt's 'Link List' plugin in some way.

If it could create an XML file on the fly, you could have form fields for 'Section (folder) name', 'Link Name' and 'Link URL'. When you submit, the link list from the XML file will print on screen - so you know where you're up to - and the form fields are available again to enter new values.

Then if it didn't have the + - open and close icons and could be styled with CSS it would be fantastic.

'course I could be talking out of my arse here and none of this is possible at all :-

cheers

Dave

carl_galloway · Post by **carl_galloway** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:41 pm

why don't you use the theme configurator and add extra fields for what you want?

mgroeninger · Post by **mgroeninger** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:42 pm

d_cee wrote: If it could create an XML file on the fly, you could have form fields for 'Section (folder) name', 'Link Name' and 'Link URL'. When you submit, the link list from the XML file will print on screen - so you know where you're up to - and the form fields are available again to enter new values.

If I understand you correctly, this is exactly what the linklist event plugin does currently.

If you set "Enter XML directly" to "No" you will active the event plugin, which allows you to easily enter links through a menu interface.

Furthermore, if you set 'Use "dtree" styling' to 'No' you will have a full CSS based rendering of the linklist, which still responds to the settings to display icons. Unfortunately, the plus or minuses still show up in the current implementation.

The CSS for the linklist is contained in a file called "serendipity_event_linklist.css" in the plugin directory. And you could replace the plus and minus images with a blank image (there is one called "empty.gif" which comes with the plugin).

The only problem you would have then would be the open/close links on the categories... But I might be pursuaded to add a quick option to allow someone to disable that when using the CSS version.

Hopefully I understand you correctly.

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:32 am

Hi Matt

mgroeninger wrote:If you set "Enter XML directly" to "No" you will active the event plugin, which allows you to easily enter links through a menu interface.

Bugger, didn't think to do that

mgroeninger wrote:IThe only problem you would have then would be the open/close links on the categories... But I might be pursuaded to add a quick option to allow someone to disable that when using the CSS version.

I've had a look at the CSS and it would be great if you could do that. I'd also want to remove the indent if possible.

thanks

Dave

Hi Carl
I'm not really familiar enough with the theme configurator to do it I guess. I'd be interested to learn though

judebert · Post by **judebert** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 3:12 am

I found those options in the Link List plugin. They work pretty well; the only problem left, as mgroeninger pointed out, is that the +/- are still there.

The indents are handled by an "empty" image; replacing it with a 1px image could get rid of the indent.

Since he seems willing to help out, I'll leave it in his capable hands. (I wasn't looking forward to modifying the Quick Links plugin anyway.)

mgroeninger · Post by **mgroeninger** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 3:16 am

I might not have a chance to work on this until the middle of next week sometime... I will make an attempt at it tomorrow, but if you don't hear anything from me by Friday I won't have had a chance to fiddle with it.

I'll leave it in his capable hands.

And thanks, Judebert. I appreciate the acknowledgment!

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:52 am

Thanks to both of you. I'll look forward to see the fruits of your labour Matt.
cheers
Dave

mgroeninger · Post by **mgroeninger** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:30 pm

Alright, this is a little clunky, but I commited it to CVS. I will clean up the options when I get a chance next week sometime ('cause I realized a way to make it easier _after_ I had commited it).

Ok, the new version of the linklist sidebar plugin is 1.8. On the options page there is now an option called "Simple CSS style" (once you have turned dtree styling off). This option will strip out all the javascript and images from the css display and only render the list as CSS.

It still uses html lists, so that hasn't changed. The title of categories are now wrapped in a span tag with a class name of menu_title. The CSS file contains an empty reference to "div.linklist span.menu_title" which will change the appearence of that span.

Also, please note that the CSS hook for linklist respects templates, so you can place a copy of the "serendipity_event_linklist.css" file in your template directory and make changes there, so they wont be replaced by future updates.

As an example of what the new style can do, by using this CSS:

Code: Select all

div.linklist span.menu_title {margin: 0;
      color: #000;
      padding-left: 2px;
      padding-bottom: 3px;
      font: bold 13px Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}

div.linklist ul {
      list-style: none;
      padding: 0px;
      padding-bottom: 12px;
      margin-bottom: 12px;
      font-size: 12px;
      font-weight: normal;
      border-bottom: solid 2px ;
      white-space: nowrap;
}

I created this screen capture: http://www.theledge.net/uploads/sidebar.jpg. Basically, each category (Family, Friends, others) appears as if it was a sidebar entry, with a simple list of links below.

If you have any problems, please let me know. Like I mentioned before, I won't have much time this weekend, but I plan on getting the options streamlined next week.

d_cee · Post by **d_cee** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:23 pm

Wow!! thanks Matt, can't believe you found the time so soon. I'll download it later and spend the weekend doing the links. It looks just right on the screenshot.

I feel sure other people will find this useful - styled links that the client can edit without doing any great harm

I'm really impressed, thanks again

Dave