Super Component (custom fields/content types)

[juanparati]

Arrgg!

With Super Component and Joomla we will boar-boarding the servers!! Ho ho ho

And will conquer the open source sea Arrgg!

[carsten888]

ok, I just published Pages-and-Items 1.2.0 which now fully includes:
custom itemtypes.
see my announcement here:
http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f ... s#p1425884

enjoy

[unleash.it]

Aye mates! And a yo ho ho! I say get in doors and hide the hens, when the wind fills our sails! Pirates, piratistas and cookie monsters. Undivided we stand. Let it be known the will of the pirate, and soon we be all pirates wid one fork in one big sack o gold!

[PufferMedia]

Well, I've finally come up against this. Migrating a client's site to joomla 1.5, and all of his old SQL articles and Users are filled with custom fields that I have no easy way of translating to joomla.

With this I fully get why some users are so adamant about the core being extended to accommodate custom fields.

Now, I don't fully what I'm talking about (more of a front-end guy), but it seems with just a few custom fields to the com_content extension developers would have a lot more free reign to really exploit this feature.

I appreciate this discussion, and I throw my support 100% behind this being rolled into the roadmap.

[pollen8]

hi

Ron has posted on the Fabrik forum about how to extend Joomla content with Fabrik 2.0b3:

http://fabrikar.com/forums/showthread.p ... ent+fabrik

Perhaps that might be of help to you?

Cheers
Rob

[carsten888]

Pages-and-Items 1.3.0 got released today. It now also has frontend editting (also of custom itemtypes).

[unleash.it]

Please guys, I don't mean to play the role of moderator, but I don't think this topic is to advertise your component. It's a white paper for adding custom fields to the core.

These extensions are a great interim solution. But if this were added to the core where it really needs to be, Joomla would be another step to a more integrated solution. The good news is the jExtended guys are now talking about adding at least some capability to the next version...

[unleash.it]

Just thought I'd add, since I don't don't doubt some think I'm a bit mad (ok stark raving, totally mad!) how revolutionary custom fields can be for your web development.

Besides their use on a catalog/database type site, the hidden extra is the ability to make your clients life easier when they make their own updates. They just input the information in the right place and wallah, it merges with your design. The secretary (or the CEO) can do it.

You could for example have a module on the homepage for the client to choose a featured article (or section/category). You could give it an image(s) field (so it can be different than the main article), a caption field, etc. then style it as crazy as you like!

Drupal has this and now it looks like it's coming to Joomla bit by bit.

[carsten888]

Just thought I'd add, since I don't don't doubt some think I'm a bit mad (ok stark raving, totally mad!) how revolutionary custom fields can be for your web development.

Besides their use on a catalog/database type site, the hidden extra is the ability to make your clients life easier when they make their own updates. They just input the information in the right place and wallah, it merges with your design. The secretary (or the CEO) can do it.

You could for example have a module on the homepage for the client to choose a featured article (or section/category). You could give it an image(s) field (so it can be different than the main article), a caption field, etc. then style it as crazy as you like!

Drupal has this and now it looks like it's coming to Joomla bit by bit.

all this is in Pages-and-Items.

don't get me wrong. I am not doing some blatant self-promotion (on a free GPL product?), but just want to let the people in this tread know about that this is all available as an Joomla extension. I see your point that this should be integrated in the core, but its been in the wish-list forum for years, and the Joomla core kept rejecting it, so I decided to take it on, sorry if you don't like that.

[unleash.it]

I have no problem with your extension, of course not. I said that extensions like yours are a great interim solution. But I should add... that even if the feature ever gets added to the core in some way or another, I think there will be always room for extensions that expand on the idea (or have their own method) for those that need it. The problem that only a core solution can fix, is all the proprietary data structures that can't speak together. In layman's terms, extension hell.

As far as you listing your extension here, I didn't think it was a big deal... although it maybe gets a little iffy when you post each time you make an update.

BTY... I just reread Wilco's post (Development Coordinator Summit), and it looks like I was wrong that they have plans to add custom fields (although maybe some tweaks for article parameters). Thanks to these great extensions though... I see no reason to end it all

[Alex53]

Hi mate, first of all my applause to you for doing this. I need to have articles with custom fields for a newspaper. Basically they need, apart from a headline (title) a sub-headline and a bi-line below the headline in a particular format (italics, bold, size, etc). They also need a pre-headline ABOVE the headline.

The problem is I have downloaded and installed your component, module and plugin, enabled the plugin, but I have no idea how to create these extra fields! I keep going round in circles in the configuration and new page area and I really cant get my head round how to achieve it!

Could you shed some light this poor soul's problem? Ideally some from of step by step tutorial for dummies

PS: About needing a field above the headline, maybe the way round it is to use Joomla's title as the pre-headline and a custom field as the headline, and then format the text so that the Joomla's title is actually smaller than the headline custom field below it, if I make sense, but the problem there is that a pre-headline is optional, and Joomla will require a title....aaarrgh.

Just thought I'd add, since I don't don't doubt some think I'm a bit mad (ok stark raving, totally mad!) how revolutionary custom fields can be for your web development.

Besides their use on a catalog/database type site, the hidden extra is the ability to make your clients life easier when they make their own updates. They just input the information in the right place and wallah, it merges with your design. The secretary (or the CEO) can do it.

You could for example have a module on the homepage for the client to choose a featured article (or section/category). You could give it an image(s) field (so it can be different than the main article), a caption field, etc. then style it as crazy as you like!

Drupal has this and now it looks like it's coming to Joomla bit by bit.

all this is in Pages-and-Items.

don't get me wrong. I am not doing some blatant self-promotion (on a free GPL product?), but just want to let the people in this tread know about that this is all available as an Joomla extension. I see your point that this should be integrated in the core, but its been in the wish-list forum for years, and the Joomla core kept rejecting it, so I decided to take it on, sorry if you don't like that.

[carsten888]

The problem is I have downloaded and installed your component, module and plugin, enabled the plugin, but I have no idea how to create these extra fields! I keep going round in circles in the configuration and new page area and I really cant get my head round how to achieve it!

Could you shed some light this poor soul's problem? Ideally some from of step by step tutorial for dummies

read the documentation on how to make custom itemtypes:
http://www.joomlapi.com/custom-itemtypes/

PS: About needing a field above the headline, maybe the way round it is to use Joomla's title as the pre-headline and a custom field as the headline, and then format the text so that the Joomla's title is actually smaller than the headline custom field below it, if I make sense, but the problem there is that a pre-headline is optional, and Joomla will require a title....aaarrgh.

I see what you mean. A workaround could be to hide the title alltogether. Then in the actual content area use the fieldtype 'item_title' to put the title anywhere you like. Then make an extra 'text' field for the pre-header, and of course a 'editor' field for the content.

I hope that helps.

[mikeboon]

Great post! Now we are in March 2009. Wat did change?
What is the best (free) plugin around? (preferably one that extends the standard articles with customer fields)

[davide1982]

Let's update/upgrade list of the options we have currently:

1) JoomSuite Resources
2) Pages and Items
3) ...

[crony]

Hello,

As I understand what you're asking, I think you might be interested into that thing :

http://quickform.darkoline.com/index.php/Accueil

QuickForm is a complet MVC component created by DragonJC that allows creating individual forms, or forms that will be published as articles.(or not, it's up to you)
The articles can be edited again as forms and reupdated into articles.
The forms can be stored individually for each user, which allows to edit/modifie/delete/export only the articles from a user.
Forms submited can also update fields from other Joomla! tables of other components, so a form may update some fields into CB, create an article, and send an email...(for example)

There's also a plugin system that provides additionnal modification, before or after submiting a form, that allows approximatively everything...(and beyond... )

For example, we're actually working on a plugin that resize, rename an image that has been submited thru QuickForm. Then, the resized image has to be stored into individuals folders for each user.(will be available very soon as example for developping plugins)

The site is only in French at the moment.(but translators are very welcome)
As far as we have tested it the component works with SEF, SH404Sef, J! 1.5.10.

It's not as wysywyg as many component of that kind,(at the moment) but seems quite more powerfull too... ^^
Original discussion from here :
http://forum.joomla.fr/showthread.php?t=77833

We need translators, developpers, testers, beers and girls etc...

Hope you'll enjoy this full GPL component !

[dragonjc]

Hi guys, thanks Crony for this presentation.

What is QuickForm For Joomla! ? It's before all other things a simply component with lot of possibilities.

QuickForm is build in 3 major parts :

The first : The forms builder

- you can create forms for all you need (contact, registration, data, reservation,....)
- you can create all fields you need
- you can linked tables drom databse easly (just select table define id and display value)
- you can create easly tabs and slides for custom the forms
- datas are store into database (1 table for 1 forms)
- you can send email (phpmail, sendmail, smtp,...) with submissions
- you can give permission easly to use and see the forms
- you can define your own layout (line step line or custom or HTML) with a wysiwyg editor
- you can add custom PHP code (before forms generation, secure javascript into forms, on test before store datas, before store, and after store)
- you can redirect autmoticcaly or display a succes message
- you can publish with start and end date the forms

Second : The display of results

- you can restricted acces to to user of your choice
- you can restricted access to see data from only selected user of your choice
- you can create easly array of data who have been submit
- you can create easly document with data submitted from database and linked with other fields
- you can export , delete, duplicate, edit selected datas
- you can customize your PDF Layout with datas from the database
- in array you can order, and do pagniation.

third : The plugin system

It's the more important system of QuickForm. Quickform look like other forms generator alone, but with customisation field and plugin system it's came more than a simply generator.
You can build application to store data in each other table from Joomla and here components.

You can so do complete joomla application with forms for edit parameters or submit datas, and plugin and display result for layout.

We have work recently on a bêta plugin. In 1 hour of programmation, the plugin, installed like other Joomla plugins, extend the QuickForm core and rename the file, remap it into folder from selected into forms, create a copy of this picture and resize them. And store in database, the new name.

This is a smasl description of functionalities from QuickForm.
QuickForms follow all time the Joomla API. Works with SEF, SH404Sef, J! 1.5.10.

It's now a Bêta version, but if some developpers want help me, it's can came in a few time a stable version. Same, if there is some traductors, and tester, i'm open.

As i read, maybe, QuickForm can be a good complement for Pages and Items.
To see wiki http://quickform.darkoline.com
Please use http://translate.google.fr we will translate after finished component if we have no translator

[Harlequin]

japie1001

I like what you did and loaded it into a sanbox site I am working on but the ZIP file for the plugin plg_field.text.zip wouldn't load into Joomla.

[Harlequin]

I guess we'll have to wait...

[fgforty2]

This is needed in Joomla NOW! Sorry to yell but after messing with Joomla for over a year now, this is the most important feature besides ACL that needs to be released in 1.6. I understand this feature if done right might lose a lot of 3rd party developers for extensions some cash, but honestly some of us want to code our own custom content and have it work throughout Joomla and behave when paired with other extensions and modules. There will always be a market for people who don't want to code custom content. I hope this isn't the fear of not getting this type of integrated CCK made for Joomla.

[carsten888]

I understand this feature if done right might lose a lot of 3rd party developers for extensions some cash, but honestly some of us want to code our own custom content and have it work throughout Joomla

Pages-and-Items is free. Its got custom itemtypes and even dynamic fields, which can render content on the fly.

[Britta Leuchner]

...can please some of you give more basicdetails for those who think about implementing your beta or non beta custom field solutions? that would be great. for example:

1. do they work with standart joomla content articles? or do they use their own articles? if so, can I import the joomla articles?
2. If yes, will the custom fields show up in 3d party article listing modules or article slideshows like GK or YJ or 2Joomla and so on
3. what about website performance? is it based on a crossID table data structure? that would mean a lot of mySQL parsing for each of the articles and would be impossible to try on big news magazines
4. compatibility infos for the big players would be good too.

Don't get me wrong, because I appreciate the work of all very much. But the problem œ joomla is not to find people who try something out but to filter the good from the time wasters ...

[carsten888]

I can only answer that for Pages-and-Items.

1. do they work with standart joomla content articles? or do they use their own articles? if so, can I import the joomla articles?

Yes, same table #__content is used, so fully compatible with the rest of Joomla. Yes, you can import content. You can use Joomla's content-manager as well as Pages-and-Items to work on the same content. But allowing editors to edit custom-item-types using the Joomla content-manager will give them the freedom to mess up your carefully set up layout, so best to stick with Pages-and-Items for custom-item-types.

2. If yes, will the custom fields show up in 3d party article listing modules or article slideshows like GK or YJ or 2Joomla and so on

yes, the items in Pages-and-Items will show up in any other Joomla extension which uses articles from Joomla's own content-table, also custom-itemtypes as long as these extensions allow the content-plugin to do its thing before outputting it to the page (needed for dynamic on-the-fly rendering which is optional).

3. what about website performance? is it based on a crossID table data structure? that would mean a lot of mySQL parsing for each of the articles and would be impossible to try on big news magazines

Depends how many queries you use if you are using the PHP-field-type in your custom-item-type for on-the-fly rendering. If not, all custom itemtypes will be pre-rendered and NO extra query is needed for custom-item-types.

4. compatibility infos for the big players would be good too.

Next version will be compatible for use in Joomla Multi Sites. Normal articles in Pages-and-Items are already compatible with Joomfish (in Joomfish select 'contents'), but in the version after that also custom-itemtypes will be compatible with Joomfish. Those are the only extensions I know of which are not yet compatible. If you find any more, please let me know.

enjoy the testdrive. :-)

[Britta Leuchner]

wow!! awesome answer. thanks for your details! You fill my plans with hope! I have installed your latest version now, but I have to read more of your documentation first.