Upgrading to next version of EE

[pigasus]

Hi Pekka,

I've made various cosmetic modifications to the files: feedback.php, list.php and photo.php to personalise EE. I know that photo.php will be modified in the next revision to correct the logic in the lower navigation bar. But I'm hoping that the corrections required by the current version of PHP haven't meant that you have had to rewrite code in all the .php files. Will I have to replace all the .php files when I upgrade? Or will I be lucky and not have to redo all my modifications?

Thanks,
pigasus

[Pekka]

Hi pigasus,

With next update you'll have to replace _every_file because it all has changed quite a bit internally.

What changes have you made? Maybe they are changes others would like use too: if so, I could implement them choosable by settings.

Here's the changes the next EE will have in public section:

DONE TO PUBLIC PAGES:

- added photo page photo linking choice - click photo gets you next photo (or: show plain photo, or: do nothing). Set this in settings editor.

- text areas: automatic web and email link activation and line breaking choice for photo, index and list pages. This is because some want to use html, some don't. Set these in settings editor.

- choice for removing keyword search code from public interface. Set this in settings editor.

- iframe browser is now default browser in feedback pages. Last feedback is automatically displayed.

- photo page lower microthumb row navigation bug is fixed (sort by DESC messed it up).

- number of photo page microthumbs (navigation) can be set from 1 to 7 (number of microthumbs are added both left and right of currect photo, so e.g. setting 5 gets you 11 microthumbs.). Set this in settings editor.


--

I'll also add do a "custom detailed listing" where you can choose what data is listed. Not sure if it will make it into next version, though.


Pekka

[pigasus]

Thanks for the quick reply Pekka. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and do it all over again.

I made some simple changes to the information at the bottom of the list and photo pages - removing some info and links and renaming, reordering and respacing others.

The major change I made was to set up feedback so that there is only one feedback location, regardless of exhibition. I did this by creating an empty, nonpublic exhibition and then changing all the links to feedback to go to feedback for that exhibition. Then I made changes to the feedback page so that it all looked right.

I can't put it on the web yet for you to see, but I can jpeg some pictures of the resulting screens and email them to you if you want.

What would help would be a choice of output styles for each page, like you do for index page. An additional user style page could start out with the same settings as the current settings, but could be massaged by each user. We could then do a trade in user settings pages ('hey, pigasus, I'll trade you 2 list page user settings for 1 photo page settings'). :)

pigasus

[Pekka]

I think doing a setting choice "group all feedbacks" is quite easy to code, although time-consuming. But I think if feedback grouping is active it still needs a link to exhibition per feedback item, as feedback is often very exhibition-specific. The link could be optional of course.

Also, it's easy to code settings for hiding various texts and counters if wished.

About templates, the photo list page is so complicated it's very difficult to change its apperance merely by template. I'll see what I can do, but I have to say that is not main priority stuff.

[pigasus]

Pekka wrote:
I think doing a setting choice "group all feedbacks" is quite easy to code, although time-consuming.
I'm happy doing it myself as I don't need to have the choice of doing it two ways. It only took me 30 minutes to figure out how to funnel all feedback to one private exhibition, and to make the cosmetic adjustment to the feedback page.

About templates, the photo list page is so complicated it's very difficult to change its apperance merely by template. I'll see what I can do, but I have to say that is not main priority stuff.
No, I don't think I meant templates exactly. For example, I took the existing photo.php file, copied it and renamed it (original_photo.php). Then I made my changes to photo.php and that's what is being used. Should I want to go back to using the original format, I need to change the names again. All I was thinking was it might be nice to be able to specify which of a limited number of pre-defined files I wanted to uses as photo.php. But it certainly isn't essential. It just would give you the potential for providing a set of photo page choices, much as you do for the index page.

I didn't mean for you to think that I wanted you to make changes to EE. I'm very happy with it as it is! I found it really easy to make my modifications. And I've never even programmed with html, let alone php, before.

pigasus

[Pekka]

pigasus wrote:
I'm happy doing it myself as I don't need to have the choice of doing it two ways. It only took me 30 minutes to figure out how to funnel all feedback to one private exhibition, and to make the cosmetic adjustment to the feedback page.

Ok, but after few updates you'll get bored of doing the same coding all over again :)

No, I don't think I meant templates exactly. For example, I took the existing photo.php file, copied it and renamed it (original_photo.php). Then I made my changes to photo.php and that's what is being used. Should I want to go back to using the original format, I need to change the names again. All I was thinking was it might be nice to be able to specify which of a limited number of pre-defined files I wanted to uses as photo.php. But it certainly isn't essential. It just would give you the potential for providing a set of photo page choices, much as you do for the index page.

"Choose appearance" system like the index page uses now is very likely possible on all other pages, too.

The pages would need a bit more code commenting if people would like to change the page apperances, though.

One thing about appearance: I would like to keep photo and list pages as they are, apart from text areas and colors. As they are now works quite well, and looks good. Also, there is an issue of brand and image creating for a product, and big part of it is familiar appearance.


I didn't mean for you to think that I wanted you to make changes to EE. I'm very happy with it as it is! I found it really easy to make my modifications. And I've never even programmed with html, let alone php, before.

I thought the ideas were good, that's why I started thinking how to implement them. Most people would like choices where ever possible, for example: some might be uncomfortable showing counters and comments to the public. Also I think of making new "hideable", as some don't really have much news other than "welcome".

Take care,

Pekka

[pigasus]

Pekka wrote:
One thing about appearance: I would like to keep photo and list pages as they are, apart from text areas and colors. As they are now works quite well, and looks good. Also, there is an issue of brand and image creating for a product, and big part of it is familiar appearance.
I really understand that! Apart from adjusting the text, however, I did make a some changes that you might consider as changing the image. I made links to the index page say PHOTO GALLERY HOME PAGE instead of View a listing of all public exhibitions. And on the photo page I changed Search/list All to Index. Also I centred the photo image on the photo page. I'd like you to have a look at what I've done (before I go public - and before I actually make the changes again) as I don't want to make changes you're not happy with. Oh yeah, and I added your EE logo to the bottom of the photo page - just for completeness.

pigasus

[Pekka]

Just an up-to-date info:
EE (now at 1.19) takes still day or two (optimistic as always) as now I'm writing a full custom color scheme system to public interfaces :)