I have a suggestion for a feature but I cant figure out how to solve this. Maybe if I share the idea, someone else will come to the resque :-)
This time I'll try to explain more the idea, motivations and the benefits.
Sometimes your solution requries you to implement and archiving structure. Not because your website visitors needs to see the structure, but because this is important for your webmaster. Usually we use some automation packages that provides some auto archiving features like a-z folders or datefolders. And most blog packages auto archive all postings in a yyyy-mm-dd folder structure. Good examples on how to give the webmaster a chance to keep some sort of big picture.
But when we do this - we have also created a "physical" node structure. This works fine - but it could be better. Here's my movivations:
First thing is that it's not flexible at all. I have only one way to see all my content. What if I want to see the content in another way? Sortet another way? Structured another way? Short answer is - I can't. Okay - I can but this would change all urls and republishing mayhem.
My second thing - why should we build a url that display how my stuff is archived. Like /archive/b/bannacake.aspx when /archive/bannacake.aspx could do it? Or /blog/2010/09/01/fishinghooks.aspx when /blog/fishinghooks could do it?
I'm suggesting we need a flexible way to modify the content tree rendering to avoid a 1 to 1 releationship between content (tree) and page urls.
Ideas
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to build a datefolder structure below a certain doctype? Think if you were able to configure the content tree to build a (insert your own) structure below a certain doctype? And how about being able to rightclick a node and select an alternate rendering (yay!!)
Cant edit my posting for some reason... Update to Ideas
Ideas
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to render a datefolder structure below a certain doctype based on property values? Think if you were able to configure the content tree to render a (insert your own) structure below a certain doctype based on property values? And how about being able to rightclick a node and select an alternate rendering (yay!!)
One of the ideas floating around for version 5 was to have tree node providers which could contain meta data (same goes for applications). The meta data could provide rules or even the functionality to change the way things work. For instance an application's meta data could describe the application to not have a tree at all.
The concept of being able to reorganize the tree, etc... came up last year at the retreat before Code Garden but to do something like this in v4.5 would be quite difficult especially to be able to cater for everyone's experience.
the plan is that v5 will have all of these ideas implemented
Thanks for the quick response. The plans for V5 sounds fantastic. Looking forward to that. But since I can't hold my breath that long :-) I'll dare you to rethink the possibilities?
Today we can surpress rendering of nodes (by adding a piece of code to an event) right? We just need to be able to add items to the tree?
Well, if you extend trees you can render any data that you want.
For example, the content application is actually a combination of the content tree and the content recycle bin tree. The content tree appends the recycle bin tree when it renders out it's first level. If for instance you wanted to render a file/folder structure underneath one of your content nodes, you could do this... you'd just have to extend the content tree and then wait for that particular node to be rendered. As for right clicking and selecting a different way to view the tree, this is also possible... again, you would have to code this. I was going to do something similar for sorting nodes as a demo for code garden this year but didn't get around to it. The issue is that you can't create such custom functionality that will work for everyone without writing a lot of code.
The application designer was another idea that Aaron, Niels and myself were working on but this sort of got forgotten. This was the idea of having a configuration file that would allow you to design a tree with the nodes structures/sets that you wanted.
Essentially, yes, you could do everything you want know, but you'd need to make it :) Having a sort by/group functionality based on a context menu would be possible for everyone though... good package idea but not sure when i'd get time.
Content Tree rendering vs. Webpage urls
Hi All,
I have a suggestion for a feature but I cant figure out how to solve this. Maybe if I share the idea, someone else will come to the resque :-)
This time I'll try to explain more the idea, motivations and the benefits.
Sometimes your solution requries you to implement and archiving structure. Not because your website visitors needs to see the structure, but because this is important for your webmaster. Usually we use some automation packages that provides some auto archiving features like a-z folders or datefolders. And most blog packages auto archive all postings in a yyyy-mm-dd folder structure. Good examples on how to give the webmaster a chance to keep some sort of big picture.
But when we do this - we have also created a "physical" node structure. This works fine - but it could be better. Here's my movivations:
First thing is that it's not flexible at all. I have only one way to see all my content. What if I want to see the content in another way? Sortet another way? Structured another way? Short answer is - I can't. Okay - I can but this would change all urls and republishing mayhem.
My second thing - why should we build a url that display how my stuff is archived. Like /archive/b/bannacake.aspx when /archive/bannacake.aspx could do it? Or /blog/2010/09/01/fishinghooks.aspx when /blog/fishinghooks could do it?
I'm suggesting we need a flexible way to modify the content tree rendering to avoid a 1 to 1 releationship between content (tree) and page urls.
Ideas
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to build a datefolder structure below a certain doctype?
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to build a (insert your own) structure below a certain doctype?
And how about being able to rightclick a node and select an alternate rendering (yay!!)
What are your thoughts?
Can you do it?
How much?
All the best
Jesper Ordrup
ps. Warning - I tried getting help on this earlier using a tech approach - http://our.umbraco.org/forum/developers/extending-umbraco/7959-Modifying-content-tree-rendering
Cant edit my posting for some reason... Update to Ideas
Ideas
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to render a datefolder structure below a certain doctype based on property values?
Think if you were able to configure the content tree to render a (insert your own) structure below a certain doctype based on property values?
And how about being able to rightclick a node and select an alternate rendering (yay!!)
/Jesper
One of the ideas floating around for version 5 was to have tree node providers which could contain meta data (same goes for applications). The meta data could provide rules or even the functionality to change the way things work. For instance an application's meta data could describe the application to not have a tree at all.
The concept of being able to reorganize the tree, etc... came up last year at the retreat before Code Garden but to do something like this in v4.5 would be quite difficult especially to be able to cater for everyone's experience.
the plan is that v5 will have all of these ideas implemented
Shannon
Shannon,
Thanks for the quick response. The plans for V5 sounds fantastic. Looking forward to that. But since I can't hold my breath that long :-) I'll dare you to rethink the possibilities?
Today we can surpress rendering of nodes (by adding a piece of code to an event) right?
We just need to be able to add items to the tree?
Best
Jesper
Well, if you extend trees you can render any data that you want.
For example, the content application is actually a combination of the content tree and the content recycle bin tree. The content tree appends the recycle bin tree when it renders out it's first level. If for instance you wanted to render a file/folder structure underneath one of your content nodes, you could do this... you'd just have to extend the content tree and then wait for that particular node to be rendered. As for right clicking and selecting a different way to view the tree, this is also possible... again, you would have to code this. I was going to do something similar for sorting nodes as a demo for code garden this year but didn't get around to it. The issue is that you can't create such custom functionality that will work for everyone without writing a lot of code.
The application designer was another idea that Aaron, Niels and myself were working on but this sort of got forgotten. This was the idea of having a configuration file that would allow you to design a tree with the nodes structures/sets that you wanted.
Essentially, yes, you could do everything you want know, but you'd need to make it :) Having a sort by/group functionality based on a context menu would be possible for everyone though... good package idea but not sure when i'd get time.
Ok. I'll give it another go then. I'm gonna check out the current recycle bin implementation to see if this is doable without changing anything core.
Thanks.
Jesper
I've looked into the source and I have no idea :-)
Shannon or others - pls. consider doing this. If we can agree on features and a price I'll surly cover it.
/Jesper
@Shannon have these concepts been built into v5?
is working on a reply...