Creating a dynamic region is rather confusing at first. It isn't until much documentation research (and even reading some issues) that you realize you can create a "dynamic region" by specifying a primary region for a zone.

Current implementation:

I'm suspecting the purpose of dynamic regions (based on how the functionality currently works) was primarily because of the content and sidebar regions and the need for adding and subtracting based on the presence of sidebars. This works well because the content region SHOULD be the primary focus and expand/contract depending upon sidebars.

Where the issues lies:

There are going to be times where one does not want to specify a primary region, but WOULD like to have the dynamic capability. Say you want to create a dynamic zone for the preface or postfix regions. The only way to do this currently is to specify that one of the postfix regions are the primary for the zone. This will cause that region to be expanded or contracted based on available regions that have content in that zone.

We need to separate the functionality of dynamic regions into a separate setting. Provide default addition/subtract algorithms when the presence of a primary region is detected and equal algorithms for when it is not.

Comments

marcoka’s picture

marcoka commented

I am not getting what you mean with "dynamic zone and primary region".

markhalliwell’s picture

markhalliwell
Primary language English
commented

http://omega.developmentgeeks.com/documentation/regions/configuring-regi...

marcoka’s picture

marcoka commented
Version: 7.x-3.1 » 7.x-2.x-dev

ah. that is omega 2.x
why not use 3.x?

markhalliwell’s picture

markhalliwell
Primary language English
commented
Version: 7.x-2.x-dev » 7.x-3.1

No... it's in the 3.x branch too (otherwise I would have already set the version properly). I was just sending you to that link because I thought you didn't know what dynamic regions/zones were.

Besides, I'm talking more about the actual functionality of Omega (which can be done from a sub-theme's info file or the admin interface). Notice below the alpha_zone_content_primary setting is set to content. This is what causes the zone to render the regions in it to become dynamic. 

; Content Zone
settings[alpha_zone_content_equal_height_container] = ''
settings[alpha_zone_content_wrapper] = '1'
settings[alpha_zone_content_force] = '1'
settings[alpha_zone_content_section] = 'content'
settings[alpha_zone_content_weight] = '1'
settings[alpha_zone_content_columns] = '24'
settings[alpha_zone_content_primary] = 'content'
settings[alpha_zone_content_css] = ''
settings[alpha_zone_content_wrapper_css] = ''

Please re-read what I have already said above in my initial post of what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm not trying to debate whether or not this already exists, but rather to improve it.

markhalliwell’s picture

markhalliwell
Primary language English
commented
Title: Dynamic regions should be better supported and documented » Dynamic regions should have better/more algoriths to determine what is trying to be accomplished