Zikula Community

• craigh
  
  

  • Rank: Developer
  • Registered: Jun 16, 2003
  • Last visit: May 29, 2010
  • Posts: 1966

  Posted: Feb 18, 2004 - 11:23 AM

  So, I 'm driving home from my real job and I'm thinking about what, if any, development I can do this evening, and the problems I'd had in finding documentation on XTE and other problems that I've listed in these 'hallowed halls' and suddenly, like a lightning bolt, it hit me... Tie a module's documentation directly into the module! wait - lemme 'splain.
  
  Many modules are built on the 'template/example' module that has been provided to us by the pnDevs. I suggest that directory structure include a pnDocs directory (as several other modules have done). Within that directory, provide sample files like install.txt, readme.txt, changelog.txt, license.txt and any other reasonable files.
  
  THEN (and this is the good part), write a function or two into the modules module to display those documents from the Admin->modules->list page! If implemented, this would give IMMEDIATE access to the documentation to any (API-compliant) module! This could even be done for EVERY CORE MODULE!
  
  Of course, the files in the pnDocs folder would need to be consistently one type (.txt or .htm/.html, or whatever). But then, the include function could simply nl2br the text files or simply grab HTML files and display them - easy!
  
  And you all thought I was a moron. 8) :D :P

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• markwest
  
  

  • Rank: Team Member
  • Registered: Mar 18, 2002
  • Last visit: Oct 21, 2009
  • Posts: 6606

  Posted: Feb 18, 2004 - 11:51 AM

  Craig,
  
  Actually that is something that's in the works. If you look at a non API compliant module you'll see a link to the documentation (in the file manual.html I believe). A small javascript snippet is used to display the help in a popup window. I plan to implement a small pnRender plugin to generate the necessary link to implement the same setup for API compliant pnRender'd modules.
  
  -Mark
  
  --
  Visit My homepage and Zikula themes.

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• **unknown user**
  

  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Oct 21, 2009
  • Posts: 124

  Posted: Feb 18, 2004 - 11:56 AM

  Xanthia does have this feature in it already but I have not added any docs to it. Have not had time to write them yet. There is a setting to display dynamic help. What this does is add a little question mark icon next to each link within the Xanthia admin panel. When you click on the icon a pop opens with the help information for the specific topic. If you look at the code in pnadmin.php where the admin menu is created you will see how the function is called.
  
  When I have more time I will work on updating this feature :)
  
  Also have someone who owes me a big favor that has agreed to create flash movies for Xanthia and possibly for PostNuke itself, similar to the movies you can view for cpanel and other programs. I know there is a site that has examples of these but can not remember it off the top of my head.

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