New module offered for Taxonomy menus
That's right, I'm not asking for anything. I'm offering something.
I've written a new module. In fact, it is two modules, but I'll keep referring to it as one to keep things simple.
The background and rationale are pretty involved and complicated. And let's admit, there are pages of modules out there that can display the taxonomy in various ways. So let's stick with,
What was the inspiration?
"Did you ever wish you could index parts of your site, particularly the taxonomy, by leveraging the power of Drupal's menu system?" (especially the new 6.x menu system)
What is it?
It displays a taxonomy as a menu.
How does it go about the job?
By taking a user selected vocabulary or term from a taxonomy, automatically growing the tree underneath, and saving the lot as a proper Drupal custom menu.
What can it do that is different?
I'm not sure any of this is unique, but,
- You can have as many menus as you like, not just a sitemap. Make them different styles.
- The menus display in pages or blocks, up to you.
- The menus are full 2D menus, not lists. Same as the 'navigation' menu, not a node list.
- They auto-update if you change the taxonomy.
- Can show node links.
- Can work with depth.
- If they're in a block, they work with DHTML-menu.
- Mostly uses the normal Drupal custom-menu admin pages, because they are normal Drupal custom-menus.
- Works with multiple hierarchies (so far as I've tested).
Where would you use it?
You want to index relatively stable parts of your content, e.g 'forum topics', using a 2D menu, like the 'navigation' menu.
And you want to give that to your users.
Or maybe you fancy cheering yourself up after some hours with PHP, so you knock out a fake taxonomy, enable the module and, in a couple of clicks, you have a huge page size menu of it. Works for me.
And finally...
Why are you posting?
I'm not a professional programmer. I don't know much about deep Drupal internals.
I'd classify the module status as 'evidently working, concept indisputably exciting, possibility of execution proved, basic ideas in place, untested, untested for performance, crude programming, insecure'.
That's how it will remain, as it works really well for me, and I can't afford the time to take it further.
But I thought I'd post, see if there was any interest?
Comments
Thanks!
I think I am going to find a use for this. Thank you!
Hello
Oh, I do wish I could help. But sorry, I'm not the guy to sort the admin pages out. I've got about three hacks in there, and they do make for a tight interface, but the registry change is ugly brutish programming. I don't know much about programming culture really, but I wouldn't have thought I could post publicly at this point.
The really obvious use for the module(s) is to index your site. In the way you might index a book. But on the fly. As the book module can create a 2D menu for itself. Except this module works for my taxonomy, your taxonomy, any taxonomy.....
I'm a little lost. Where is
I'm a little lost.
Where is this new module?
How is it different than existing taxonomy menus?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Where?
I was planning on trying it out this week on a fresh D6 site I am creating, where do I find your module?
I just posted a topic
I just posted a topic looking for something which does exactly this, literally 10 seconds later I found this post. Now I feel like a dumbass.
The functionality is obviously far more advanced than the existing Taxonomy Menu module.
I'd love to get my hands on your module mate? Can you please post a zip?
I'm sure we can get this off the ground and turn it into something great!
Ok, I'm back
Qudos to the guy who mailed me. I'd just about dropped the thread.
Therein lies the problem. All this is background noise to my other purposes - I need a website for projects which are in full swing right now. I might disappear for days. I can't focus on this unless I get intensive for a day or so, which is tricky at the moment.
Anyhow, I'll try and get something running for you all. Make your own assessment - seem good?
Rob
OK: again I'm a little
OK: again I'm a little confused:
Why would this be better than/ better than modding the existing taxonomy menus?
What new functionality/features are you proposing?
Do you actually have module code that you're mid-progress on, or is this simply prospective?
Etc.
Thanks.
A few hours later...
Right, one by one...
Where is the module? Nowheresville. As I explained above, I do not regard it as secure enough to be released. I'm on the module dev list. It's a module in dev.
How is it different from Taxonomy Menu (and you could have mentioned several other taxonomy menu modules, not to mention sitemaps)? Underneath, it is completely different. Couldn't be more different if it wanted to be contrary. If you want something cute and working, go for taxonomy menu. Ok, I sound techy, but I put a list up there and taxonomy menu can't do about half of those things, - and never will because of it's base approach.
If you want to try the module I recommend heavily that you try it on a fresh installation. Don't put it anywhere near anything important or secure.
Right, you want an eyeful of menu?
http://www.beginneropensourceprogramming.co.uk/lands/?q=treemenu/indigot...
I'll keep the link up until it causes me too much grief.
Taxonomy was generated from a Devel module bomb. Three menus grown in the time it takes to fill in a custom menu form. Look at the URL and you see how all three menus are concatenated onto one page. One menu is grown from halfway down a taxonomy, not the root. Wave your mouse over the links and you'll find several of them are for nodes, cause I switched nodes on.
And because it makes a crazy end to an evening, I promoted one of the menu blocks to the right sidebar, and stuck DHTML menu onto the case. Makes me smile, anyway.
A guy on the dev mail list suggested I try checking in to contrib. I know nowt about these things, but if I tear off my shadow, maybe I could send him over. Gimme a week or so.
Hows it all going. Anything
Hows it all going. Anything happening with this cause I'd love to see it get a module release out there.
Yes stuff happening.
Yep. On one side, proper releases, this is moving fairly slowly, due to to trying to firm up some powerful code. On my own.
On another side, the module has developed some very interesting new directions.
Hope to be posting soon, with real news
Rob.
News
Ok, Taxonomy Router is out in Beta Release 2.
Not what you're all waiting for, but I like it. I think of it as the bedrock upon which Taxonomy Treemenu dances till the wild and tawny dawn.
R.