Pre-configuring pages for users (composer inadequate)
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I'm developing a site for my own use as an artist and it seems that others may want to use the same setup - these people are essentially neophytes who want things to be... SIMPLE !
Aside from pages that are essentially text based, there are "gallery" pages where you want to show examples of your work (a file set) together with an explanation.
What I want on the page are : the page description (which serves as an introduction) ; then a slideshow which I'm developing ; and, finally, the explanatory text.
Ideally therefore a user should be able to choose a title for their page, write a description, choose a file set for the slideshow (which is completely pre-configured), write their explanatory text and hit publish.
So I have looked at custom page types (enabling, in passing, page attribute selector and my slideshow to appear in composer). What I have discovered is that you can't use either of those blocks in composer, and when you publish / go to edit mode, there isn't even a place holder for the blocks you can't use in composer. You're faced with constructing the page as if it were blank with a bit of text on it.
Which begs the question what is the point of composer ?
I thought of trying stacks only to realise that they only work site wide and not as a generic structure that you fill with information on an individual page.
Is there a way of achieving what I'm looking for ? A pre-configured page with the 3 blocks ready to be filled in ? Knowing these people anything more complicated and they'll give up.
Aside from pages that are essentially text based, there are "gallery" pages where you want to show examples of your work (a file set) together with an explanation.
What I want on the page are : the page description (which serves as an introduction) ; then a slideshow which I'm developing ; and, finally, the explanatory text.
Ideally therefore a user should be able to choose a title for their page, write a description, choose a file set for the slideshow (which is completely pre-configured), write their explanatory text and hit publish.
So I have looked at custom page types (enabling, in passing, page attribute selector and my slideshow to appear in composer). What I have discovered is that you can't use either of those blocks in composer, and when you publish / go to edit mode, there isn't even a place holder for the blocks you can't use in composer. You're faced with constructing the page as if it were blank with a bit of text on it.
Which begs the question what is the point of composer ?
I thought of trying stacks only to realise that they only work site wide and not as a generic structure that you fill with information on an individual page.
Is there a way of achieving what I'm looking for ? A pre-configured page with the 3 blocks ready to be filled in ? Knowing these people anything more complicated and they'll give up.
The point is, it only outputs the text-based content... see original post.
You still have to add the slideshow and the page description manually in page edit mode.
And if that's the case, the people I'm dealing with have given up and gone home !
You still have to add the slideshow and the page description manually in page edit mode.
And if that's the case, the people I'm dealing with have given up and gone home !
If you take a look at the Elemental Theme you will easily be able to see that is not the case. There is a Slider and WYSIWYG content being put on the page from Composer.
I get this message :
"Unable to load block into composer. You must edit this content from within the context of the page. "
For the slider, slideshow, and page attribute viewer... (in Firefox)
Then, as I say, there is no output for these blocks onto the page and I have to edit the page.
"Unable to load block into composer. You must edit this content from within the context of the page. "
For the slider, slideshow, and page attribute viewer... (in Firefox)
Then, as I say, there is no output for these blocks onto the page and I have to edit the page.
Some add-on blocks don't include the composer.php file that they need to be used in Composer, try the "Image Slider" block that comes with the Elemental theme and you will see that it works.
The blocks have to be setup properly for Composer, but that is the responsibility of the developer.
The blocks have to be setup properly for Composer, but that is the responsibility of the developer.
I have tried the Image Slider and the output I get is as above.
All composer.php seems to do is enable a field and label in the composer form. It doesn't seem to enable any functionality.
If it is possible to enable functionality the question is, then, how ?
All composer.php seems to do is enable a field and label in the composer form. It doesn't seem to enable any functionality.
If it is possible to enable functionality the question is, then, how ?
What version of 5.7 are you using? Here is a screenshot of what I see in composer with the Elemental Theme and the Image Slider block setup with 5.7.5.1
http://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/637314/e9ab2849b23f5b4aa0164...
http://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/637314/e9ab2849b23f5b4aa0164...
I'm getting none of that and I'm in 5.7.5.2
I'm actually playing with the "Portfolio Project" page type because it is pretty close to what I want - and I'd got rid of the original instance of Image Slider (because I find them unbelievably irritating) - creating a new instance doesn't give me back the functionality that your screen-grab shows.
Which is curious.
As it stands, it seems any block that requires a selection process doesn't work in composer... unless composer.php can introduce that (it works for "page location" for example)
I'm going ferreting...
I'm actually playing with the "Portfolio Project" page type because it is pretty close to what I want - and I'd got rid of the original instance of Image Slider (because I find them unbelievably irritating) - creating a new instance doesn't give me back the functionality that your screen-grab shows.
Which is curious.
As it stands, it seems any block that requires a selection process doesn't work in composer... unless composer.php can introduce that (it works for "page location" for example)
I'm going ferreting...
What it says in composer.php for Image Slider is :
Which I take to mean show the configuration dialogue (that you find in page edit mode) in the composer form.
Which it isn't.
Ugh!
$view->inc('form_setup_html.php', array('view' => $view));
Which I take to mean show the configuration dialogue (that you find in page edit mode) in the composer form.
Which it isn't.
Ugh!
I seem to have cracked it...
You have to go right to the bottom of the blocks list (when in page layout mode) to find the controller block and then select from the drop down menu to add the block.
Only then will it show correctly in composer. So composer must check with the template if the content has somewhere to go...
Still can't get my slideshow to work with it though.
But that's another question.
You have to go right to the bottom of the blocks list (when in page layout mode) to find the controller block and then select from the drop down menu to add the block.
Only then will it show correctly in composer. So composer must check with the template if the content has somewhere to go...
Still can't get my slideshow to work with it though.
But that's another question.
I seem to have cracked it... You have to go right to the bottom of the blocks list (when in page layout mode) to find the controller block and then select from the drop down menu to add the block. Only then will it show correctly in composer. So composer must check with the template if the content has somewhere to go...
I am in the same boat as you NickN with my users needing things to be simple and this helped me out with adding a image block into composer, Thanks!
Would be nice if there was some documentation focused just on the Composer implementation.
I think it should be a standard requirement that the add-ons have a composer.php included with them. Otherwise what is the point of using Composer with add-on blocks.
Then go back to the Page Types and click on Output, you can then Edit Defaults and add a "Composer Control" block to the page, which will add the element to that page type, you can rearrange them just like normal blocks.