EE Module Release: Templates 2 Files
In Scripts & Resources, Expression Engine
The ability to edit templates directly through the Expression Engine control panel is certainly useful, but personally I favour the creature comforts of a fully featured text editor rather than limited HTML textareas. As a result I tend to have the ‘save template as file’ option set for each and every template, which currently means updating each template manually in order to have a file generated from the template data in the database. Or at least it used to. Templates2Files is a very simple module which takes any templates that do not have the ‘save as file’ option set, creates the corresponding file and updates the db accordingly.
Usage info and further details are available in the readme enclosed. Although I’ve had no problems with the module myself it is probably a good idea to backup your database and templates folders before using it, just for safety’s sake.
Comments and suggestions welcome, as always.
14 Mar 07Simple Pagination Plugin for Expression Engine
In Scripts & Resources, Expression Engine
Although Expression Engine is an incredibly powerful content management system I have found that one of its more core features, pagination, is a bit lacking. In order to split one entry across multiple pages it’s necessary to place the content for each page in its own field. This would mean a 20 page article would require 20 seperate fields, and when only two or three of those are likely to be used regularly that seems a bit of a waste. Fortunately the plugin system makes it possible to overcome this problem if you’re happy to get your hands dirty with a bit of PHP, which is exactly what I’ve opted to do.
The Simple Pagination plugin makes it possible to split up an entry into an unlimited number of pages by simply entering {pagebreak} wherever one page should end and another should begin. Usage of the plugin is simple and its features are almost exactly the same as those offered by the standard EE pagination setup. To view an example of the plugin in action see the simple pagination demo that I've setup.
Although the plugin is fairly flexible it should only be used on 'permalink' style pages, that is, pages focussed on a specific entry.
Any comments or examples of the plugin being used 'in the wild' are welcome, as are donations at the link below if you have you found it particularly useful.
19 Dec 06EE Plugin: Delete Entries Outside of the Control Panel
In Scripts & Resources, Expression Engine
With user generated content being all the rage these days one of the more useful features a content management system can offer is the ability to allow users to submit, modify and remove entries (be they blog items, adverts, images… you get the idea) without actually accessing the behind the scenes admin side of things. Expression Engine is getting there with it’s standalone entry form but there’s still a little way to go. Fortunately Solspace.com offer a free form helper plugin which makes it possible for users to edit their entries, so the only thing missing is the ability to delete entries from the frontend.
As a project I’m working on requires exactly that I’ve thrown together a plugin which makes it possible to delete entries from the frontend. All of the member access level checks in the standard EE deletion code are used, so as long as your member group privileges are setup correctly the plugin shouldn’t be a security concern.
There are two tags used to implement the plugin into your website. The first, {exp:delete_entry:link} is used to generate entry-specific deletion links and the second {exp:delete_entry:delete} is the one that does the dirty work and removes all traces of the entry from the database and updates various counters accordingly.
I’ve written up some plugin usage details, but it may be easiest to try the plugin out on a development install of Expression Engine if you have one. Installation is as simple as saving pi.delete_entry.php into your EE ‘plugins’ directory.
I hope this is as useful to others as it will be for me. Do be careful though as deleted entries are well and truly gone once that button is clicked. Smaller scale sites may benefit from offering a feature which sets an entry status of ‘closed’ instead, as this can ensure the entry is deleted for all intents and purposes but an administrator can bring it back if desired.
07 Dec 06‘Bubblegum’ vBulletin Template
In Scripts & Resources, vBulletin
With the FreshBlue vB template now exceeding 400 downloads at vBulletin.org alone I have decided to release another design which is free to all. Named ‘bubblegum’ this template is once again a light, airy design which, with any luck, your community members will be happy to use for hours on end. This release is based on the 3.6.4 vB version but should work fine with any of the 3.6 releases and is backwards compatible with the 3.5 branch if you don’t mind a little template editing.
Included in the download are the necessary Photoshop source files and detailed instructions so that you can replace the ‘myForum.net’ graphic with the name of your site. For details on installation and usage of the template see the readme.txt file.
- View a demo of ‘bubblegum’
- View the related topic at vBulletin.org
- Download ‘Bubblegum’ for vBulletin
If you’re interested in an unbranded or customised version for your forum then please contact me.
Enjoy!
25 Oct 06Free Expression Engine Template
In Scripts & Resources, Expression Engine
In the spirit of releasing free templates for great software I’m pleased to announce VayaDesign’s first freebie Expression Engine template, ‘TealTemplate’.
The template includes all of the typical blog features such as comments, trackbacks & RSS feeds. Instructions for installing the template are included in the download as well as a Photoshop file for the site title image. Unfortunately it’s not quite a ‘one click’ install, but that’s the price you currently have to pay for software as flexible as Expression Engine. I say ‘currently’, as I’m still holding out hope for some more streamlined template import/export features in the future.
As usual, any comments would be appreciated. Using the template on your site? Let me know!
Download TealTemplate
View a TealTemplate demo
Expression Engine Mini Review
In Scripts & Resources, Expression Engine, Web Development
I was first attracted to Expression Engine because it appeared to offer a solid ‘all in one’ package. Seamlessly integrating multiple pieces of software to bring a site together can be at best a laborious task and at worst impossible. Even once it’s done you then have the hassle of one login for every section of the site, whether it’s the gallery, the news section or the downloads area. The idea that I could configure every aspect of my site through the same templating system and then make updates through the same login made EE an appealing purchase.
Now that the site is up and running I’m pleased to say that in that respect EE has lived up to its promises. In fact since I started work on the site pMachine have released EE 1.5 which includes a basic eCommerce module, so the software is gradually getting closer and closer to being the first and last thing you need to install on your server when starting work on a new site.
The templating system lives up to its end of the bargain too: It’s powerful and intuitive once you get used to it. Even as a total beginner I found that as long as a Firefox tab was pointed at eedocs.pmachine.com I couldn’t go far wrong.
Once all of my ‘weblogs’ (a slightly misleading title, since an EE weblog can be dynamic content in just about any form) and templates were complete it was time to add the content. In this area EE does excel. Each weblog can be assigned it’s own categories and its own set of fields. Which means that a different selection of fields can be displayed, depending on the blog being posted to. For anyone who has plans to ‘hand over the keys’ so to speak and let their clients update their own sites, this is a very useful feature as each field can be clearly labelled and configured to suit. E.g. an input box for ‘Book Title’, a drop down list for ‘Paperback / Hardback’, and so on. Also useful is a versioning feature and ‘guided’ posting feature.
So, EE’s perfect?
No. Currently there are two issues which I think may be a show-stopper for anyone with plans to build a site which is heavily based on a gallery.
- Galleries are not searchable. The EE search currently only looks at ‘weblog’ content, so if User X is searching for some info that happens to reside in a gallery caption (such as my portfolio item details) then they are out of luck.
- Although EE does offer a ‘batch entries’ feature, it is not what most people would expect. There is currently no way to upload a batch of images to a directory and just click ‘add’. Every single image must be reviewed and confirmed, not something which will be very appealing if you regularly add galleries of 50 images or more.
But as a CMS with blogging capabilities I would say EE is a sound purchase. As with any software there is the odd frustrating ‘feature’, but certainly nothing major enough to put me off.
Overall Verdict
If you’re someone who’s tired of hacking away at core files and scouring the net for essential third party plugins then EE is definitely for you. However if you’re just looking for a script to power your new blog and you’d benefit most from a selection of free templates then Wordpress and its huge community are probably the way to go. I have spent quite a long time working with both MovableType and Joomla and Expression Engine is infinitely nicer to use than both.
02 Oct 06VayaDesign Goes All “Two Point Oh”
It’s been something of a wait, but the all new Expression Engine powered VayaDesign.net is finally ready for public consumption. I have been busy testing with every web designer’s best friend, but if anyone spots any problems in their Browser of Choice then please do let me know in the comments.
Rather than sending people to sleep with details on all the new features and content I’d just like to invite everyone to have a look around the site and see they think. Any and all comments welcome.
01 Sep 06Controlling Your Domain Name
Following the painfully lengthy transfer of a client’s domain recently I’d like to offer one quick bit advice to anyone who is planning to start their first site: Make sure you have full control of the domain name. Before ordering a domain name ensure that the registrar has a control panel from which you are able to update contact details and nameservers whenever you wish. Never register a domain through a third party who you don’t fully trust. Would you give your car keys to a stranger?
Example Scenarios
- Your current hosting plan runs out in two weeks and you opt to move the site elsewhere. If you can’t update the nameservers to point at your new web host then you will no longer be able to use your domain name.
- The domain expires because you were not set as the administrative contact therefore didn’t receive any of the renewal notices.
In the event that you lose a domain name then your brand will be severely damaged, any incoming links that your site had will stop working, you will likely have to move to a new domain name which search engines will not like one bit and, worst of all, all of your visitors will get the impression that you no longer exist.
You don’t need to be an expert (or even close to it) to register your domain and it only takes a minute or two to complete the ordering process, so I really cannot recommend it enough as it can save some serious headaches in the long run.
If you’re not sure which company to register your site with then a couple of the registrars I would recommend are Namecheap and eNom. Registerfly are one to avoid; don’t ask!
15 Aug 06Time’s 50 Coolest Sites, 2006
Time have posted a write-up of the 50 coolest sites on the web. Unsurprisingly the likes of MySpace, YouTube and Digg are in there, but despite spending more than my fair share of time on the net there are still plenty of sites I’ve never even heard of. I’m not convinced that Snap.com is entirely deserving of its place, all shiny, AJAXed-up and Web 2.0 though it may be. It may look good but the results aren’t up to much and it’s far slower to use than el Goog, Yahoo or MSN. But then these are the ‘coolest’ sites, maybe I’m missing the point.
09 Aug 06vBulletin 3.6 & FreshBlue
In Scripts & Resources, vBulletin, FreshBlue
Following the release of vBulletin 3.6 Gold I have updated my FreshBlue template to include all of the necessary template changes. FreshBlue is still free to all and you can download it below. Support is available via vBulletin.org, if needed.
Demo: 3.6 Demo Forum
Download: FreshBlue for vB 3.6
Enjoy!