This feature request is for nodeasblock 5.x (HEAD) with Eaton's patch from http://drupal.org/node/105009.

I am trying to bounce this idea off as many as possible of you nodeasblock users and developers out there. I am using nodeasblock in a current site build out and I will try to set aside budget for these features.

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Wether a content type can be used for creating a block should be a setting on content type configuration pages (admin/content/types/[type]). On the same pages there should be a setting for the default region of the content type.

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Use this content-type as block 
  ( ) never
  ( ) optional
  (o) always

=== (the following form snippet pops open if user hits "optional" or "always") ===

Default region (dropdown)
  [right sidebar] v

Allowed regions (multiple select)
  [left sidebar]
  [right sidebar]
  |top content|
  |navigation bar|
These are the regions a user will be able to chose from. If only one region is allowed, no region drop down will be presented to the user.

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I would appreciate your feedback very much.

Particularly I would like to know, wether we could not skip the "optional" option. That would simplify settings greatly but it would mean that you would have to create a node type for creating blocks, something that differs quite a bit from the current approach. The current approach allows to create a block from any node type in the system.

Comments

mfredrickson’s picture

mfredrickson commented

I like the idea.

I wonder, however, if it isn't time to open up a new branch on nodeasblock: block field.

This feature sounds it could be pretty easily met by the default setting stuff going on in CCK right now. We could get this functionality for free by switching to a CCK field based model instead of a node_api model.

Other benefits might include: hooking into the "Display Fields" tab to choose what fields are display in each "block field", easier db management, multiple blocks per node (potentially with different fields displayed within each block). The list goes on.

That said, I would accept a patch to NaB as it is right now for the default setting functionality above. We can look at CCK later.

alex_b’s picture

alex_b commented
Status: Postponed (maintainer needs more info) » Active

I like the CCK idea, will ponder that.

I push the issue over to active. active(needs info) does not show up on the standard view of issues.

jose reyero’s picture

jose reyero commented

About the cck idea, I think it makes more sense for now as a stand alone module so it can be plugged into cck or other node types.

For the 'allowed regions' it might be a global module setting, trying not to over-complicate it too much

alex_b’s picture

alex_b commented

Jose, with Allowed Regions on a per content type basis and per content type access controls you will be able to control which users can post blocks to which areas.

Alternatively, we could create permissions for which users are allowed to post to which areas.

BioALIEN’s picture

BioALIEN commented

Hmm, what you're suggesting may be over kill for this module. Maybe just adding extra access controls to this module to specify which roles can access what block region will do the trick in a simplified way? The roles with no permission will be unable to select regions they have no access to.

alex_b’s picture

alex_b commented
Status: Active » Closed (duplicate)

http://drupal.org/node/133452