easyadmin

1. Introduction

Building a website starts often by putting the structure in place, with no content but the name of the pages (folder, article, whatever class).

Doing that with the regular admin interface (one content at a time) is a slooow to death process.
After having spend half of the previous year (or so it feels) waiting on a website to create a page at one time or another, I thought it must be a better way.
This interface is as simple as possible: you enter a list of name and the class you want to create and submit.
It creates them in one single operation. Life is great again and I can see my son and wife from time to time.
I hope it's going to save your couple too. Well, if it saves you a couple of minutes, that's already a good start ;)
It also provides small tools so the editors or visitors can quicky create a new content with just its name,

2. How to use the new templates

The list of children is modified on the admin interface so you get a new "Quick add" button and a link to load a list of content.
2.1 Quick add
(within a full/line... tpl ie where $node is defined)
{include uri="design:easyadmin/add.tpl"}
else, if you want to set a different parentnodeid than the current node
{include uri="design:easyadmin/add.tpl" parentnodeid=$node.node_id RedirectAfterPublish=concat("content/view/full/",$node.node_id)|ezurl()}
This add a button, when you click on it, you can write the name of the content, set its class and publish it.
You can also use it with a predefined class (eg 'topic'):
{include uri="design:easyadmin/add.tpl" parentnodeid=$node.node_id classIdentifier='topic' label='add a topic' RedirectAfterPublish=concat("/",$node.url_alias)}
default values:
RedirectAfterPublish: redirect to the newly created node if you don't put any parameter

3.Admin templates modified

? Any idea where is the best place to put that ?
(thinking loud and writing down some of Kristof's ideas
In the child window (quick add ?)
In the browse window (quick add ?)
Load (in the context menu) ?

4. New views

4.1 add

to create a new content
If you know the node id of where you want to create the content (2 for the main node, 43 for the media folder...)
/easyadmin/add/<nodeid>
/easyadmin/add/<nodeid>/(class)/<classid>

4.2 load

to create several new content in one step
/easyadmin/load/<nodeid>
or (to create articles)
/easyadmin/load/<nodeid>/(class)/2
On the first step, you put one name per line (in the multiline field)
On the second step, you can correct (if needed) each of the name before you actually create it.

4.3 clear cache of the current page

/easyadmin/clear/<nodeid>
This clear the cache of the page nodeid. If it's called from a link in a page (eg from the view full), the page is redisplayed.

5. Template to include in your public site pagelayout.tpl

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When you change a template, you have to clear the cache and redisplay your page to see the result.
Dead slow, no fun.
You can add (at the bottom of your pagelayout or instance)
{include uri="design:easyadmin/clear.tpl"}
Then you have a "Refresh this page" link. You clic on it, the page is redisplayed after having cleared the cache (of only the current page).
Tip: it has an accesskey of R, meaning that if you type alt+R it is going to redisplay your page taking into account the new templates.
Life is great again

6. Kernel limitation

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When renaming a folder (that's the method used to quick create a content), it updates the short_name, not the name attribute).
You can see the status of that bug here:
http://ez.no/bugs/view/8278
and apply the patch yourself to solve it.

7. Improved collaborative approval workflow

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A new event can automatically set the section of the published contents of a specific class.
(see the setting setsection.ini)
Usage: new comments are automatically into a section "To be moderated", where only admin have read/write access to.
I've modified the template to this article is displayed with a big "TO BE APPROVED" background, and an approve buton (design/standard/templates/easyadmin/quicksetsection.tpl), that allows it to switch back to the "general" (or whatever standard section) you have and therefore be visible by anyone.
8. Disclaimer & Copyright
-------------------------
/*
Easycontent for eZ publish 3.x
Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Sydesy ltd
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
*/
The operator is tailored to fit our needs, and is shared with the community as is.
Thanks for your attention
Xavier DUTOIT