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• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Senior
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
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  Posted: Nov 06, 2006 - 07:20 AM

  I've noticed an increase in performance as well as flexibility replacing blocks with plugins. It also allows greater control of output and placement and removes the issue of blocks loading on pages from which they're not called on. The "block" methodology is pretty old, I'm just curious if anyone else has considered this method as a possible replacement?

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• Simon
  
  

  • Rank: Legend
  • Registered: Dec 11, 2002
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  Posted: Nov 06, 2006 - 07:52 AM

  Hypothetically, we have spoken in the past about replacing / removing blocks with special module outputs - since a block is just a module output templated in a particular manner. It's something to think about post .8 anyway.
  
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• markwest
  
  

  • Rank: Team Member
  • Registered: Mar 18, 2002
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  Posted: Nov 06, 2006 - 07:57 AM

  Devin,
  
  Yes it's something i've thought about. You've identified the most of the positives. There are a few negatives though.... The first is usability; new users need to get down to templates and plugins very quickly.
  
  The next is that any configurable options need to be passed as plugin parameters. This makes setting up the plugin harder than configuring a block via the GUI. This also places limits on potential input - imagine, for example, how the menu block would work as a plugin.
  
  -Mark
  
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• **unknown user**
  
  

  • Rank: Senior
  • Registered: Mar 16, 2002
  • Last visit: Oct 21, 2009
  • Posts: 2204

  Posted: Nov 06, 2006 - 08:52 AM

  Hi Simon, Mark,
  I thought about those issues some.. but I don't have any good answers :) ..maybe "plugin" configurations on the module level.. say an admin type hook that looks for plugins (ie: function.block_someblock.php), etc. maybe a "plugin registry", ala blocks .. yeah, I don't know, I don't think that puts the ease of use back into the equation. Anyway, it's not obstructive, seems a valid utility.. look forward to seeing what you guys come up with though.
  
  thanks for the input

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