Joomla! Discussion Forums

1st Part - ARTICLE LAYOUTS

This is a global review of the menu item parameters. The current report includes an analysis of the article layouts in detail (i have planned to do a similar review for the rest of components). Previously i have verified the behaviour of the new component configuration framework in two scenarios, and several problems related with SEF URLs and menu items (see reports:#1 and #2).

The included points in this review are:

1. Overview of significant features, changes between versions and issues related with the behaviour of the component configuration framework.
2. General and specific issues/bugs regarding the menu items that i have found and related reports i have identified on 1.5 boards.
3. Lists of layout parameters included in the Beta 2, and those which were removed or missed between versions.

Another point to consider is the differentiation between "Basic" and "Advanced" parameters. I would suggest the following criteria to include parameters in each one of the categories:

1. Menu Item Parameters (Basic): Those common parameters to all layouts ("Show Page Title", "Page Title", "Page Class Suffix", "Menu Image", "SSL Enabled").
2. Advanced Parameters: This section would include those specific parameters of a type of layout.

In this way we would have a organization of parameters with more consistency, and structured in levels: Common Parameters, Layout Specific Parameters and Component Configuration Parameters.

Finally there are some issues related with the labels and tooltips. But these will be included in another review to not complicate more this report.
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1. Archived Article List

Overview:

This layout shows for each article: Title, Created Date and Time, Author, Content (limited to 255 characters). The parameter settings at Component Configuration are used partially in the main view (list of archived articles). There are some related issues with this subject (see below).

Issues/bugs:

• The settings of "Created Date and Time" and "Author" at Component Configuration override always the settings of those parameters at Article Advanced Parameters (even if the setting here be to not "Use global"). This is not the expected behaviour. (Note: on the other hand, "Title" and the rest of parameters of Component Configuration have no effect on the main view -list of archived articles-).
• Uncategorized articles aren't included in the list.
• Links to articles don't work (Error 404). This also happens with "Archived" module => See a related report

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Order by"

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• "Show Created Date and Time" => Now this is set up in Component Configuration.
• "Show Author" => Now this is set up in Component Configuration.

(Note: "Filter Bar" and "Pagination" are displayed by default. There is not parameter for them).
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2. Standard Article Layout

Issues/bugs:

• Several specific issues with this layout were reported previously => See a related report
• Problem when selecting an article => Solved in the related report

Exclusive parameters of "Component Configuration" and "Articles Preferences":

The following parameters don't be available at Article Advanced Parameters:

• "Hits" => This is a parameter of a specific type of layout (Category Type Layout) so i think it could be available together the specific parameters of that layout only.
• "Read More Link" => This is a specific parameter of the Blog layouts and it styles the articles as group. There is no possibility to set it individually for each article. So, it could be available in those layouts only (Note: A person have claimed the option to set it individually, in that way it would be available in the standard article layout too).
• "Icons", "Show Navigation", "Show UnAuthorized Links" => These parameters style the articles as group. There is no possibility to set it individually for each article.

Parameters without "Use Global" option in the "Article Advanced Parameters":

These parameters stay out of the logic behind the new framework. The parameters settings at Article Advanced Parameters would always override the Component Configuration settings at Menu Item (or the Article Preferences settings when accessing to the articles via Module...) => See related reports #1, #2

• "Show Article Title", "Show Intro Text", "Section Name", "Section Name Linkable", "Category Name", Category Name Linkable"

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3. Article Submission Layout

No issue/bug was identified.
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4. Category Blog Layout

General Issues/bugs:

• You can't select more than one category => See related reports: #1, #2 => Ruled out, see discussion

• You can save the menu item without select a category. There is no warning message.
• There is an unnecessary "Article Title" parameter on Menu Item Parameters (it can be set up in Component Configuration).

Specific Issues/bugs on Blog View:

• "Image Description" => Doesn't work (See a related report)
• "Linked Titles" => Global setting don't work

• "Section Name" => Global setting don't work
• "Section Name Linkable" => Doesn't work (both Article and Global setting)
• "Category Name" => Global setting doesn't work
• "Category Name Linkable" => Doesn't work (both Article and Global setting)

   

• "Author Names" => Global setting doesn't work
• "Created Date and Time" => Global setting doesn't work
• "Modified Date and Time" =>  Global setting doesn't work
• "Item Rating/Voting" => Global setting overrides the Article setting by hiding the results of voting

• "Icons" => This parameter isn't present in the Article Advanced Parameters (Note: When a specific (PDF, Print, Email) Icon parameter is setted as "Show" in Article advanced Parameters and the "Icons" parameter is setted as "Hide" in Component Configuration, the Layout shows the text of the PDF link but not the the icon)
• "PDF Icon" => Global setting doesn't work
• "Print Icon" => Global setting doesn't work
• "Email Icon" => Global setting doesn't work

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Description", "Description Image", "# Leading", "# Intro", "Columns", "# Links"
• "Category Order" (->it must be removed), "Primary Order", "Pagination", "Pagination Results"

(Note: "Article Title" => Unnecessary parameter -see above-)

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• "Unpublished Items" => This parameter was available in the 1.0.x series (It allows showing unpublished articles for publisher users and above).

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5. Standard Category Layout

Overview:

The parameter settings at Component Configuration are used partially in the main view (table of articles). There are some related issues with this subject (see below). There is no possibility to show the list of other categories (see removed parameters).

General Issues/bugs:

• You can save the menu item without select a category. There is no warning message.
• The layout shows Category Description and Image by default (there is not parameter to hide them).
• Ordering the list of articles is only possible "asc" => See a related report

Specific Issues/bugs on Table View:

• There is no too many consistency in the use of Component configuration parameters to set up the main view (table of articles): 1) "Show Article Title", "Author column" and "Hits" are set up via component configuration. 2) "Date column" have a specific layout parameter. 3) "Linked titles" have no effect in the main view. Note: Perhaps these parameters should be set up only via specific layout parameters (as in the 1.0.x series).

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Table Headings", "Date Column", "Date Format", "Filter", "Filter Field"
• "Primary Order", "Pagination", "Display Select"

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• "Category Description" => Now it is showed by default
• "Category Description Image" => Now it is showed by default

• "Author Column" => Now this is set up in Component Configuration (see above).
• "Hits Column" => Now this is set up in Component Configuration (see above).
• "Display Number" => Now "All" articles are displayed by default.

• "Other Categories"
• "Empty Categories"
• "# Category Items"
• "Category Description"

• "Unpublished Items" => This parameter was available in the 1.0.x series (It allows showing unpublished articles for publisher users and above).

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6. Frontpage Blog Layout

General Issues/bugs:

• "Description" and "Description Image" parameters are unnecessary in this type of layout.
• The same happens with "Article Title", this parameter is unnecessary on Menu Item Parameters. It can be set up via Component Configuration.

Specific Issues/bugs on Blog View:

• There are the same issues as for "Blog Category Layout" (see above).

List of Layout Parameters:

• "# Leading", "# Intro", "Columns", "# Links"
• "Category Order", "Primary Order", "Pagination", "Pagination Results"
  

("Description", "Description Image", "Article Title" => Unnecessary -see above-)

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

None
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7. Section Blog Layout

Overview:

There is no possibility to select more than one section. The 1.0.x series have available this option ("Select multiple sections").

General Issues/bugs:

• You can save the menu item without select a section. There is no warning message.
• There is an unnecessary "Article Title" parameter on Menu Item Parameters (it can be set up via Component Configuration).

Specific Issues/bugs on Blog View:

• There are the same issues as for "Blog Category Layout" and "Frontpage Blog Layout" (see above).

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Description", "Description Image", "# Leading", "# Intro", "Columns", "# Links"
• "Category Order", "Primary Order", "Pagination", "Pagination Results"

("Article Title" => Unnecessary -see above-)

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• "Unpublished Items" => This parameter was available in the 1.0.x series (It allows showing unpublished articles for publisher users and above).

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8. Standard Section Layout

Overview:

The settings of parameters at "Standard Category Layout" are taken partially via Component Configuration (see issues mentioned below). Several parameters were removed, and there are people asking for them (See a related report). There is no possibility to show the list of other categories in the Standard Category Layout view (see removed parameters).

General Issues/bugs:

• You can save the menu item without select a section. There is no warning message.

Specific Issues/bugs on List View:

• In the Standard Category Layout there are the same issues as for this specific type of layout: "Item Title", "Author" and "Hits" can be set up via Configuration, but this is not possible for "Date column" (see the report for this specific type of layout).
• The "Empty Categories in Section" parameter doesn't work => See the specific report
  

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Description", "Description Image", "Category List - Section", "Empty Categories in Section", "# Category Items", "Category Description"
• "Order by"

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• "Category List - Category", "Empty Categories", "Category Description", "Category Description Image"
• "Table Headings",  "Date Column", "Date Format", "Author Column", "Hits Column", "Navigation Bar", "Order Select", "Display Select", "Display Number", "Filter", "Filter Field", "Show Navigation"
• "Unpublished Items" => This parameter was available in the 1.0.x series (It allows showing unpublished articles for publisher users and above).

Edit: Updated some issues descriptions and corrected typos (Tested on 7474 build | Xampp 1.6.0)

Nice one, good work. I see why you're on the Doc Team

I created many content items and created sections. When I create new content at one section, at the front side show last content. But it have a link to go previous content.

I want to go and see my last update content when I click at link. What's the way to get it. Please help.

2nd Part - CONTACT LAYOUTS

First of all, I will present a overview of "Contact Preferences", "Component Configuration" and "Contact Edit" parameters:

A) Included Parameters in the three levels:

- Parameters which have a "Use default" option. I am not sure if this is expected to work in the same way as "Use global", anyway i found some related issues/bugs (see below):

• "Address Icon", "Email Icon", "Telephone Icon", "Fax Icon", "Misc Icon"

- Parameters which haven't a "Use global" option:

• "Icons/text", "Enable vcard" => These parameters stay out of the logic behind the new framework ("component configuration" settings have no effect).
• "Banned Email", "Banned Subject", "Banned Text" => I am not sure if the settings for these parameters at "Component Configuration" and "Contact Preferences" are summed to the specific settings at the "Contact Edit" level, or if the settings at "Contact Edit" specific level overrides both "Component Configuration" and "Contact Preferences" settings.

B) Exclusive Parameters of "Component Configuration" and "Contact Preferences":

- Parameters of a Specific Type of Layout (Contact Category Layout). I think they could be available together the specific parameters of that layout only:

• "Show Table Headings", "Show Contact Position", "Show Email Address", "Show Phone Number", "Show Mobile Number", "Show Fax Number".

Note: There is a parameter named as "Hide Category in Breadcrumbs" at Standard Contact Layout, which i am not sure if it could be used to Hide/Show the "Contact Category Layout" when viewing the standard layout (currently that parameter has no effect, see issues/bugs).

- Parameters which style the contact items as group. There is no possibility to set them individually for each contact item:

• "Session Check", "Custom Reply".

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1. Standard Contact Layout

General Issues/bugs:

• After setting a specific value for "Icon/Text" or "Address..." settings at Contact Preferences, the changes done to these settings at "Component Configuration" don't be saved (For example: If you select to use "Text" at Contact Preferences, and then select to use "Icons" at Component Configuration, after saving the menu item, when editing it again you will see that the value for this setting will be "Text" again).

Specific Issues/bugs of layout:

• "Address Icon", "Email Icon", "Telephone Icon", "Fax Icon", "Misc Icon" => When you select a specific image for these settings (at "Contact Preferences", "Component Configuration" or "Contact Edit" screen) you will get the html code when viewing the contact at front-end (For example: "Address: " alt="Address: " align="top" border="0" />"). Maybe this can be a problem related with template (tested with rhuk template).
• "Address Icon" => This icon stays showed when all address settings (Street Address, Town/Suburb, State, Post/Zip Code, Country) are marked to "Hide" (this behaviour doesn't happen with the rest of settings: e-mail...).
• "Hide Category in Breadcrumbs" => This parameter have no effect when is set to "Show" (Tested with Breadcrumbs enabled).
• "Drop Down" => Doesn't work. The page shows the following error message: "Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in mysite\libraries\joomla\html\html\email.php on line 36".

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Hide Category in Breadcrumbs", "Drop Down"

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

None
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2. Contact Category Layout

General Issues/bugs:

• You can save the menu item without select a category. There is no warning message.
• Contacts Category + SEO = Not working => See the specific report

Specific Issues/bugs of layout:

• Category title is added by default to the menu item title on the page title (There is no parameter to hide it).
• Category Description and Image are showed by default (There is not parameter to hide them). Nevertheless, there is an alternative parameter to select an image. When this parameter is used, the selected image overrides the category image. I think this is a duplicated feature.
• Table headings are included just after category description, there is no separation. This supposes that table headings be aligned with regard to a possible category image.
• Ordering the list of contact is only possible "asc" (This the same problem than the reported for article layouts)
• When the category contains an only contact item, this will continue being showed in the table layout. This is different than for 1.0 series, in which the contact item would be showed in standard layout. Anyway i don't consider this exactly as a bug.

List of Layout Parameters:

• "Image", "Image Align", "Limit Box"

Removed/missed Layout Parameters:

• Other Categories
• Category Description
• # Category Items

=> There are some people asking for them: See a related thread

(Note: "Pagination" is displayed by default. There is not parameter for it).

Info: Tested on 7660 build, Xampp 1.6, Blank Installation, FF2

3rd Part - NEWSFEED LAYOUTS

According to the component configuration approach i would consider as "Component Parameters" only: Feed Image, Feed Description, Item Description, Word Count

1. Newsfeed Category List Layout

Specific Issues/bugs in List Layout

• "Description" parameter doesn't work when setting to Hide, the "Description Text" box is filled and there is a "Image" to show.
• "Image Align" parameter doesn't work. The image will be aligned always on the left.

Specific Issues/bugs in Category Layout

• "Link Column" parameter doesn't work when set to Show.
• "Other categories" parameter doesn't work when set to Show.
• "Category Description" and "Category image" are showed by default (There are not parameters)
• "Pagination" is showed by default (There is not parameter).

List of Layout Parameters

• Description, Description Text, Image, Image Align
• Table Headings, Name Column, # Articles Column, Link Column, Other Categories, Category Description, # Category Items

Removed/missed Layout Parameters

• Category List - Section
• Category List - Category => Now this is "Other Categories"

2. Newsfeed Category Layout

General Issues/bugs

• You can save the menu item without select a category. There is no warning message.

Specific Issues/bugs of layout

• There are the same issues and considerations as for "Newsfeed Category List Layout - Category View".
• "Limit Box" parameter doesn't work => It redirects to the home page (this parameter isn't included in 1.0 series).

List of Layout Parameters

• Category, Show Limit Box
• Table Headings, Name Column, # Articles Column, Link Column, Other Categories, Category Description, # Category Items

3. Single Feed Layout

General Issues/bugs

• You can save the menu item without select a feed. There is no warning message.

List of Layout Parameters

• Feed

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POLL LAYOUT

General Issues/bugs:

• Error message when displaying the layout:

• When selecting a specific poll in the drop down it displays a 404 error: "Unable to route request"

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SEARCH LAYOUT

Component Parameters

• Gather Search Statistics => This is a parameter which enable the component (It has none effect on layout itself).
• Show Created Date => This parameter is repeated in the Basic Parameters section.

General Issues/bugs

• When accessing to the layout the first time it shows: "Total Results", "Search keyword" (For results), "Limit Box" and "Pagination" by default (this doesn't happen in 1.0 series).
• Also, those items are showed when there are no results.
• "Drop Down" box doesn't work (It redirects to the home page) => See the specific report

List of Layout Parameters

• Use Search Areas, Show Created Date (Repeated)

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USER LAYOUTS

List of Layouts

• Login Default Layout
• Lostpass Default Layout
• Register Default Layout
• Reset Complete Layout
• Reset Confirm Layout
• Reset Default Layout
• User Default Layout
• User Form Layout

General Issues/bugs

• "Lostpass Default Layout" and "Reset Default Layout" are the same feature (?)

Removed/missed Parameters in Login Layout

• Login Page Title, Login Redirection URL, Login JS Message, Login Description, Login Description Text, Login Image, Login Image Align
• Logout Page Title, Logout Redirection URL, Logout JS Message, Logout Description, Logout Description Text, Logout Image, Logout Image Align

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WEBLINK LAYOUTS

According to the component configuration approach i would consider as "Component Parameters" only: Target, Link Descriptions

1. Weblink Category List Layout

Specific Issues/bugs in List Layout

• "Description" parameter doesn't work when setting to Hide, the "Description Text" box is filled and there is a "Image" to show.
• "Image Align" parameter doesn't work. The image will be aligned always on the left.

Specific Issues/bugs in Category Layout

• "Other categories" parameter doesn't work when set to Show.
• When "Icon" parameter is set to "Do not use" you get the following error message:

• When selecting a specific icon, the layout continue displaying the default icon.
• "Category Description" and "Category image" are showed by default (There are not parameters).
• "Pagination" is showed by default (There is not parameter).
• "Limit Box" is showewd by default (There is not parameter).

List of Layout Parameters

• Description, Description Text, Image, Image Align
• Table Headings, Icon, Hits, Other Categories

Removed/missed Layout Parameters

• Category List - Section
• Category List - Category => Now this is "Other Categories"

2. Standard Category Layout

General Issues/bugs

• You can save the menu item without select a category. There is no warning message.

Specific Issues/bugs in Layout

• There are the same issues and considerations as for "Weblink Category List Layout - Category View".

List of Layout Parameters

• Category
• Table Headings, Icon, Hits, Other Categories

3. Weblink Submission Layout

General Issues/bugs

• When sending a weblink at front end and after click "Save" button, you get the following message: "Language string failed to load: instantiate". => See a related report

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WRAPPER

General Issues/bugs

• You can save the menu item without write a URL for the Wrapper. There is no warning message.

List of Layout Parameters

• Wrapper URL, Scroll Bars, Width, Height
• Auto Height, Auto Add HTTP Scheme

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SEPARATOR

General Issues/bugs

• "Menu Image" parameter is actually a "System Parameter"
• This menu item is styled as the rest of menu items.

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EXTERNAL LINK

General Issues/bugs

• "Menu Image" parameter is actually a "System Parameter"

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ALIAS

Related reports:
http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,185063.0.html
http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,184394.0.html

For concluding this report I have attached a summary which includes a list of component parameters, layout parameters, removed parameters between versions, unnecessary/duplicated parameters, non-implemented parameters and some issues with labelling.

The related issues/bugs and another considerations regarding parameters were reported in the current one and the following threads:

- Menu Item Parameters - A Global Review
- Issues with Article Parameters in Two Scenarios
- Interaction between SEF URLs and the new Component Configuration Framework
- Issues with Page Title and Menu Item Layouts
- Issues with Layouts after unpublishing a Category or Section
- Issues with Sample Data and Blank Installation
- Issues with Flow of Articles in Blog Layouts

Q&T; marking for review

Didn't read everything but I think it is the same as http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,190850.0.html

Tracker URL ->http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla ... em_id=6089

Yes, is the same subject, but here there are more and more specific issues .

Maybe i must do a summary .

To tell you the truth I read yours sometime back but my friends stop by we went out and I forgot about it until recently, I'll mark duplicate and will place a link on the other post to yours.

Don't worry, Peter. You are doing a great work here in Q&T .

Indeed, this thread is too complicated and dense.

As this is marked as duplicate, I'll move it to resolved. Can be dealt with from the other thread.

Yes, not problem. I think Johan and Louis will take account of it. There are different issues with parameters, not only with global config in article layouts... anyway these can be considered later...