Zikula Community

• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Registered User
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Nov 17, 2005
  • Posts: 2

  Posted: Oct 24, 2005 - 01:18 PM

  Greetings Everyone,
  
  I cannot remember where I saw the reference, however I vaguely remember hearing that a group of people were working on a "manual" for module development. Curious to know if this is still something that may happen. I have recently developed a LanParty module and would really like to do it the "right way" so it conforms to typical module standards.
  
  Thoughts, suggestions, comments?

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• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Registered User
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Jan 02, 2006
  • Posts: 7

  Posted: Oct 24, 2005 - 02:13 PM

  Hi,
  
  well I think it won't help you but there is already one http://news.postnuke.com/index.php?module=Static%20Docs&func=view&f=/pnmdg/
  
  Honestly it doesn't help me AT ALL. I mean most of the important stuff is still "to be written" :(
  Except that, there is not function call or example to show you how to do things. It is quite generic but without giving the "big picture" of the whole system, which is quite important when you begin.
  
  I need to write a module and I am beginning to get quite frustrated since I can't figure out how everything is working (why use pnModAPIFunc and when, why load tables in pnTables, why change input mode with SetInputMode, how does the security system, user and group thing works...).
  Even the API doc isn't really helpful as most documentation is vaguely explaining what the function does but now when and how to use it and generally without any example.
  
  I am not asking to rewrite the API doc, writing a tutorial or another MDG but PLEASE tell me how to learn (hacking the example module is quite painful and does not really help for a good understanding, it "might work" but it is not very professional).
  Also the module generators DO not help to understand what is going on behind and without that it's still hard to continue, it appears to boost the project start but without the knowledge behind it's not useful for beginners.
  
  
  If they are other beginners out there maybe we could start a Wiki to write a tutorial and submit it to PN-gurus around as the problem seems to be quite recurrent. (else we could also just cry together, honestly that might help me ;))

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• HalbrookTech
  
  

  • Rank: Developer
  • Registered: Dec 31, 1969
  • Last visit: Jun 01, 2010
  • Posts: 6859

  Posted: Oct 24, 2005 - 02:31 PM

  There is a new guide in the works, it's got a project at the NOC I think. I'll have to dig up my info on it and see if it's still alive and kicking. That MDG is outdated now. You should manage to create a module that will work, but it no longer reflects the process.
  
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• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Registered User
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Jan 02, 2006
  • Posts: 7

  Posted: Oct 24, 2005 - 03:19 PM

  By the way I can not find "PostNuke Authorisation System documentation" anywhere, it looks like I need it to understand the security system like using pnSecAuthAction().
  Without it I also have difficulties understanding the notation of if (pnSecAuthAction(0,'Foo::','My Foo:Foos of the world:4',ACCESS_ADMIN))
  I get the 0 and ACCESS_ADMIN, but all the ::, text, numbers ??
  
  This is exactly the kind of problem we (poor newbies out there) encounter, reference to unexisting/"to be described" documentation. I mean this is an extract from the API doc and it does not really help me. I can try to figure it out hacking or checking with existing module but it is really time consuming and not professional as I won't probably understand it fully and it could be tricky later.

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• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Registered User
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Nov 17, 2005
  • Posts: 2

  Posted: Oct 24, 2005 - 03:36 PM

  I will say that I checked the NOC and did not find anything that was current. I found one documentation project, but it looks like nothing has been going on with it for a year or so. I know there was a book just released about using the system and basic administration. From what I remember, it does nothing for developers.
  
  What was excessively rough for me was that I had to develop a module for an older version of PN. I believe it was phoenix that I developed for. Out of curiosity, if I wanted to put my efforts up somewhere for someone to mod and/or add to, how can I go about it? More or less I'm interested in additional support making the mod better than it is. I'd like to retain "lead developer rights" but frankly I'd appreciate help, I just wasn't sure how to get a "project" started... :)

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