Help Tab for Template

[Joss]

Basically, this would be an optional tab in the template administration form.

The tab would have a nice big textarea (perhaps with editor) where you can write documentation for the specific template.

Then, when the user creates a new page with that template, they have a Help tab where they can see all that nice help.

This can be useful when you need lots of explanations for the fields, but want to keep the form as uncluttered as possible, so may not want to have descriptions displayed on every field.

It would also allow plenty of space for talking about writing styles for particular templates, including lists of key phrases for SEO.

Joss

[Macrura]

joss - you can basically do this by creating a text field and then use a tab field (FieldsetTabOpen); you could further enhance it by disabling editing of that field by permission

[Joss]

Hi Macrura

The trouble with that is that you need to install an additional extension to do the permissions on a field (I think) plus the output of it would just be a form field, rather than a nicely formatted page.

[Soma]

Ehrm, but you'll need some sort of module anyway . To have a field read only there's no special module required. But what you want there's no way to do it without additional coding and that's a good example for a simple module.

Template Decorator does allow this and many more: http://modules.processwire.com/modules/template-decorator/

It is not for full essays but just a short description of what this "template" does that shows at the top of the content tab.

The module would also be a perfect reference for how to do what you want.

[Joss]

HI Soma

That is why I put it in the Wish list!!

I had forgotten about the template decorator. (Its been sooo long.....)

[Soma]

If you give me another 10 minutes I got something for you...

[Joss]

Soma!

Its only a thought on a wish list, not a demand for product!

Still, probably useful.....

[Soma]

There you go https://github.com/somatonic/TemplateNotes

[Macrura]

Soma rocks!!!

[Joss]

Even works on my old Bootwire Admin Theme!

Soma, that is perfect. Get it on the Modules immediately!

Now, where is my old copy of FrontPage 98 so I can knock up some quick help files?

(Actually, I still have on my shelf a copy of Corel Webmaster Suite and Adobe Go Live, which I don't think I ever used)

Thanks Soma!

[Soma]

Lol Front-page? Ok

Hope the concept is nice as it allows for simple setup and use html or markdown. I added module to directory and created a new thread. Im on mobile so too lazy to link to now.

[Joss]

It does have one interesting advantage - portability.

It means you can write pretty comprehensive help files, and then just copy them into a new installation, editing them a bit to match the new template. Since certain things get repeated between sites, like news, this makes sense.

[Marty Walker]

If you guys are after a nice help docs tool that uses markdown and runs without a db: http://daux.io/

You could also setup some docs in PW and use Adrians PageTreeMigrator to copy that tree between sites.