Profile Fields
I have no doubt my issue or requirements will be have been discussed before but several searched have as yet not yielded anything that directly relates to my isssue(s). The first issue (i use that term loosely as its not an issue as in bug of course!) would be after creating profile fields i have allowed them to output as values:
example being the default one for profile fields 'my favorite color is %value' which works great to some respects, but i encounter a slightly puzzling output when it comes to reviewing a broader mask. As another example if i goto users who's fav color is red i get
site.com/profile/profile_fav_color/Red
- however i would also like the ability to drop back a directory and just review say the fav colors listed:
site.com/profile/profile_fav_color/
and i would also like to 'count' the top fields so for example (again) sorted by order of times listed:
1. Red (100 users)
2. Blue (56 users)
etc etc
As far as I am aware this would mean using views to accomplish this but if I am 100% honest, while i see the power views can offer - its interface is quite intimidating - i often think of it along the same lines as i think of yahoo pipes, but a lot more difficult to work with - again in my view.
I have as mentioned above done several searches one of which included a look up on views, however most results lead to videos of views1, which to my research is not exactly the same look at all and was mostly used on drupal 5 while drupal 6 is views2 focused which has an entirely different interface - equally as scary - so if someone could offer some helpful hints and tips on attempting to produce this output I would be eternally grateful!
about views
You are creating fields in profiles? i hope not, it is better to use node profile module and cck to create a custom profile
Views interface looks scary but isnt, begin with the basic, work with fields to create the content tu display and work with filters to get the kind of view you want. then work with Sort criteria to get some time in the formula and finally in Basic settings get inside Style to watch diferent ways to display the view.
Content Profile module
I might be wrong about this, but I think Content Profile module is like the new Node Profile module (Node Profile was D5, Content Profile is D6).
Don't quote me on that, though.
no, not creating profile
no, not creating profile fields in view, as per the post i had created profile fields using the core module and wished to make use of something to make more sense of them and add a little directory navigation. While i would love to say the views interface isnt scary sorry i do need to disagree its somewhat clunky but of course thats my opinion as an unexperienced Drupal user :)
While i'm going somewhat off topic now - do respect the power views can offer a webmaster but i simply dislike the workflow i find it complicating compared to any other system of its kind - perhaps I'm coming off a touch over critical but again its an opinion and im sure when working with it further it will make more sense.
Now back to the issue, fields we're created under:
/admin/user/profilewhich is a core drupal 6 module if i recall correctly ? (correct me if im wrong)this allows a 'Page title' which i currently have set to:
People whose favorite network is %value
with the form name set too:
profile_fav_network
So in my profile i have set the network to 'ChatSpike (my fav IRC Network) which outputs the url as:
http://ircreport.com/profile/profile_fav_network/ChatSpike
(apparently autopath cannot currently rewrite profile fields due to a token issue with the profile module ? thus the yucky urls!)
Now if you visit the page you can see it lists all those that have also set there fav net to ChatSpike - which is GREAT! just how i desire it, however an issue comes into play when you go back a directory:
http://ircreport.com/profile/profile_fav_network
this outputs nothing, which is one of the two expected behaviors i expected it to do (i thought output all or none)
So what i would like to do is! to either allow the empty page to output a top 10 or list all that have filled in the network field itself, however i would still like to create a say top ten networks (based on user choices) and im guessing views would be the best approach towards attaining this - but I'm unsure if anything else exists that may accommodate this without the need to go through views at all (which would be my preference!
If not some good tips and starting points would be appreciated
IRCReport - Internet Relay Chat resources site.
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The views interface is complicated-- no question. However, what views does is complicated-- for all the options and functions views handles, the interface is actually pretty good-- once you get familiar with it.
I understand your trepidation, but frankly, there's probably no way to avoid using the views module to build a site beyond what core offers. At least if you don't want to code all the sql and php for presenting lists of information manually. Views, in one form or another, is probably destined for core at some point (just not d7) as well so learning it will be beneficial in the long run.
And no, with the complexity and amount of work views represents there's really not another option. I doubt very much if anyone will invest that kind of time and effort when views exists.
You may want to look at the http://drupal.org/project/simpleviews module (which is essentially a wrapper for views), but I'm not sure it exposes enough views functionality to do what you want.
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Thanks for the link to
Thanks for the link to Simpleviews As you say it may cut back on the features a touch - but it actually does enlighten me a touch more having created in the simple module then shifted to the views module and viewing - call it enlightening the dim witted (which in this case sadly is me!)
Thanks once again for the helpful advice and links, I'll be sure to relay my results!
IRCReport - Internet Relay Chat resources site.
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With views2 the difference between core profiles and content_profiles is somewhat mitigated-- views2 can list core profile fields just as easily as a node based profile.
If i understand you correctly, what you want to do is described in Creating Hackable URLs (Index Aliases) Using Pathauto and Views. Its for d5 and views 1, so the user interface is different, but the concepts are the same.
Some other good screencasts on views are at: http://drupal.org/node/248766.
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If you find my assistance useful, please pay it forward to your fellow drupalers.
hi WorldFallz thanks for the
hi WorldFallz thanks for the links, will review them in due time, I have gone over my issue to try explain it a touch more, seems i was busy editing while you we're posting - hope it makes a touch more sense. In the mean time I'll get busy reading up.
Thanks to all whom have offered help so far :)
IRCReport - Internet Relay Chat resources site.
So far i have started with
So far i have started with the very basic stuff i would like to do and slowly getting the hang of it - I think having worked with Evolutions email filters and to some respect Liferea's has had a negative effect :P - so far its proving to be a touch trial and error but results are slowly coming.
I've managed to (well not my original goal) replace my news page with a views page that has some basic filtering - which my users love and have also made use of the Timeline module along with views to offer my users a new feature.. they seem happy so far as the testing has not really effected them all that much if at all and another advantage is the live preview!
So as before, thanks to all for advice, appreciated - hopefully i will reach my goal, its become somewhat of a mission to do it and do it right thus the gradual build up!
IRCReport - Internet Relay Chat resources site.
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Excellent! Stick with it-- it's slow going at first but eventually it will click and you'll be able to implement what you want much easier.
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Don't be a Help Vampire - read and abide the forum guidelines.
If you find my assistance useful, please pay it forward to your fellow drupalers.