Serendipity Forums

Hi

I've set up a website for a client emailonthemove.net built on static pages. Originallly I had the contact form included in the static page sidebar navigation but, after finding that php sendmail wasn't configured, I removed the contact form page altogether.

However, the link in the sidebar won't go! I've even deleted the sidebar plugin and the link returns when I reinstall it!

Any ideas?

thanks

Dave

have you flushed your cache?

yep - tried everything.

we've got no direct access to the database either so my client has just got vpn access and removed it.

Dave

Hi!

Have you tried going to the static page plugin listing (where you enable other plugins for the sidebar navgation) and resaved that?

Regards,
Garvin

Hi Garvin

that was the first thing I did but it had no effect

Dave

Is it still in the sidebar plugin configuration, too? Or only on the page?

From admin, there is a link to static pages. From there, there is a "tab" for "Other Plugins"... can it be removed there?

After removing the plugin in plugin config it still showed in the static pages 'other plugins' tab as 'available but not installed' but it was still showing in the sidebar listing.

I then deleted it from the plugins directory over FTP and it then showed in the static pages 'other plugins' tab as 'plugin is not available' but it was still showing in the sidebar listing.

My client then went into the database and deleted it from the database table as nothing else would get rid of it!

I'm guessing it's just a bug and it doesn't get deleted (and the other page types probably).

Dave

Hi!

Yeah, the plugin saves the information about plugins in its own table. you can only disable the contactform as long as contactform plugin is still installed. Once it's removed, the plugin doesn't really reset that.

I'm not sure though how this can easily be changed in the code of the plugin...

Regards,
Garvin

Sorry Garvin , I'm not sure I understand

you can only disable the contactform as long as contactform plugin is still installed. Once it's removed, the plugin doesn't really reset that.

I did disable it whilst it was still installed but it still showed as a link in the static page sidebar list. I then deleted it in admin/plugin config but it still showed as a link in the static page sidebar list. I then deleted the plugin from the plugin directory over FTP but it still showed as a link in the static page sidebar list.

Are you saying that once you've selected another page type to show in the static page sidebar listing it's then not possible to delete it?

Dave

Hi!

I mean, as long as contact form is installed (and EXACTLY the instance you previously used, not a newly installed one after it), visit the staticpage management tab for sidebar plugins, and there you should be able to dsiable and enable the contactform.

This only works as long as that contactform instance is installed.

Other than that, I never really used nor coded that sidebar stuff, I always found it more convenient to link to extenral stuff like contact form with my own html nuggets. So I can't tell much about it.

Regards,
Garvin

Hi Garvin

I mean, as long as contact form is installed (and EXACTLY the instance you previously used, not a newly installed one after it), visit the staticpage management tab for sidebar plugins, and there you should be able to dsiable and enable the contactform.

This is exactly what I did but the contact form link in the list remained.

I always found it more convenient to link to extenral stuff like contact form with my own html nuggets

Me too, however on this occasion I did it with the sidebar plugin.

I assumed that this was a bug that I should report. If it's a fault with the plugin that can't be corrected, that's fine. As i've said, the client accessed the database and deleted it from the db table so it's not really an issue on the site anymore. If someone else has this problem in the future, it's right they should know that it's a quirk of the plugin. Maybe the plugin authors Rob Antonishen and Falk Doering could have a look at it sometime since as you say

I've never really used nor coded that sidebar stuff.

cheers
Dave

Hi Rob

the contact page link was originally generated in the sidebar static pages navigation from the list of available plugins shown after clicking the 'other pages' tab.

ie: Select the plugin you want to include as link in the staticpages navigation.

The following plugins can be included in the staticpage sidebar.

event plugin Status
serendipity_event_downloadmanager Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_guestbook Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_forum Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_contactform Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_thumbnails Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_usergallery Plugin is not available
serendipity_event_faq Plugin is not available

After finding out the contact form didn't work i couldn't remove it from the sidebar static page navigation.

My client removed it from the database table and has since made his own contact page as a static page (which is currently in the sidebar static page navigation on the site)

hope that's clear

Dave

Hi Rob

thanks for taking the time to take a look at this.

For me - and fortunately my client on this occasion - this isn't a big deal, as I said, he removed it from the database table. However for a more casual user I think it's something that should be addressed. Your suggestion about modifying the plugins and having them check and remove their entries from the static page table on their removal from an installation is a good one. Maybe this is something that could be considered when the plugins are updated in the future. I'm more of a designer than coder unfortunately or I'd look at it myself.

I've always thought that Serendipity's 'ease of use' is a core feature and having to delete plugins in and perform actions in a certain order goes against this 'ease of use' ethos.

thanks again

Dave