Preprocess functions and required CCK fields

You can use your own view and cck content type with the ddblock module.
When you do, you need to change the view-name and the field-names in the preprocess functions.

None of the fields are required.
The error message comes probably from that you did not rename the view or you don't have nodes yet.

If you don't use fields you can always exclude them form the template files, but not necessary.

The templates files, preprocess functions are just there as an example and they can give you a headstart to make your own layouts.

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

When you still have issues, please attach your template.php file, the result of the drupal_set_message debug lines, a link to the Internet site or the page source etc.

Try to describe what you want to accomplish, what you did, what you expect and what is different, so I can help you better.

You are using the preprocess functions for the new dev version of the dynamic display block module which are not compatible with RC6 of the module.

You need to download the Export_files_V1.4.zip which contains the preprocess function for RC6

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

The theme numbers have the following meaning:

10 - with number pager
20 - with previous/next pager
30 - with text pager
40 - with image pager
50 - with image/text pager
60 - with scrollable pager

For your text pager you can better start with modest-grey30p which has already a text pager.

In the preprocess function for the pager-items instead of using the pager-item field use the title.

This is a minimal change. (use $result->node_title instead of the pager-item field)

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

In the debug info (result of the drupal_set_message line) you can see which field_names you have available for your slideshow.
The node teaser has the field name: node_revisions_teaser, so you need to use:

 $result->node_revisions_teaser

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

Sorry for reopening this issue, but the $result->node_revisions_teaser doesn't work for me quite as I expected.

In the news_items view I added the Teaser field and set to be trimmed for 5 characters, but it doesn't work. I also uncommented the debug info line, but it still doesn't show me my fields.

I would like to use the teaser trimmed for the slide_text variable.

Thanks!

You need to trim your field in the preprocess function.
Please attach the result of your debug lines, your template.php file and provide a link to the internet site, so I can help you better.

I would like to trim the teaser so it trims only words and puts a '...' after the trimmed string. And also strips the HTML tags.

Here is my template.php file:
function garland_preprocess_ddblock_cycle_block_content(&$vars) {
if ($vars['output_type'] == 'view_fields') {
$content = array();
// Add slider_items for the template
// If you use the devel module uncomment the following line to see the theme variables
// dsm($vars['settings']['view_name']);
// dsm($vars['content'][0]);
// If you don't use the devel module uncomment the following line to see the theme variables
drupal_set_message('

' . var_export($vars['settings']['view_name'], true) . '

');
drupal_set_message('

' . var_export($vars['content'][0], true) . '

');
if ($vars['settings']['view_name'] == 'news_items') {
if (!empty($vars['content'])) {
foreach ($vars['content'] as $key1 => $result) {
// add slide_image variable

if (isset($result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_image_fid)) {
// get image id
$fid = $result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_image_fid;
// get path to image
$filepath = db_result(db_query("SELECT filepath FROM {files} WHERE fid = %d", $fid));
// use imagecache (imagecache, preset_name, file_path, alt, title, array of attributes)
if (module_exists('imagecache') && is_array(imagecache_presets()) && $vars['imgcache_slide'] <> ''){
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_image'] =
theme('imagecache',
$vars['imgcache_slide'],
$filepath,
check_plain($result->node_title));
}
else {
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_image'] =
' '" alt="' . check_plain($result->node_title) .
'"/>';
}
}
// add slide_text variable
if (isset($result->node_revisions_teaser)) {
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_text'] = check_markup($result->node_revisions_teaser);
}
// add slide_title variable
if (isset($result->node_title)) {
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_title'] = check_plain($result->node_title);
}
// add slide_read_more variable and slide_node variable
if (isset($result->nid)) {
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_read_more'] = l('Read more...', 'node/' . $result->nid);
$slider_items[$key1]['slide_node'] = base_path() . 'node/' . $result->nid;
}
}
}
}
$vars['slider_items'] = $slider_items;
}
}
/**
* Override or insert variables into the ddblock_cycle_pager_content templates.
* Used to convert variables from view_fields to pager_items template variables
* Only used for custom pager items
*
* @param $vars
* An array of variables to pass to the theme template.
*
*/
function garland_preprocess_ddblock_cycle_pager_content(&$vars) {
if (($vars['output_type'] == 'view_fields') && ($vars['pager_settings']['pager'] == 'custom-pager')){
$content = array();
// Add pager_items for the template
// If you use the devel module uncomment the following lines to see the theme variables
// dsm($vars['pager_settings']['view_name']);
// dsm($vars['content'][0]);
// If you don't use the devel module uncomment the following lines to see the theme variables
// drupal_set_message('

' . var_export($vars['pager_settings'], true) . '

');
// drupal_set_message('

' . var_export($vars['content'][0], true) . '

');
if ($vars['pager_settings']['view_name'] == 'news_items') {
if (!empty($vars['content'])) {
foreach ($vars['content'] as $key1 => $result) {
// add pager_item_image variable
if (isset($result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_image_fid)) {
$fid = $result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_image_fid;
$filepath = db_result(db_query("SELECT filepath FROM {files} WHERE fid = %d", $fid));
// use imagecache (imagecache, preset_name, file_path, alt, title, array of attributes)
if (module_exists('imagecache') &&
is_array(imagecache_presets()) &&
$vars['imgcache_pager_item'] <> ''){
$pager_items[$key1]['image'] =
theme('imagecache',
$vars['pager_settings']['imgcache_pager_item'],
$filepath,
check_plain($result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_pager_item_text_value));
}
else {
$pager_items[$key1]['image'] =
' '" alt="' . check_plain($result->node_data_field_pager_item_text_field_pager_item_text_value) .
'"/>';
}
}
// add pager_item _text variable
if (isset($result->node_title)) {
$pager_items[$key1]['text'] = check_plain($result->node_title);
}
}
}
}
$vars['pager_items'] = $pager_items;
}
}

Here is my debug info:
*

'news_items'

*

stdClass::__set_state(array(
'nid' => '54',
'node_title' => 'Test title',
'node_revisions_teaser' => 'Test teaser',
'node_revisions_format' => '2',
'node_type' => 'story',
'node_vid' => '54',
'node_created' => '1256215538',
))

It looks like your node_revisions_teaser field shows up in the debug line and you use it in your template, so the node teaser should show up as your slidetext.

--
I would like to trim the teaser so it trims only words and puts a '...' after the trimmed string. And also strips the HTML tags.

What code in the preprocess function did you try to get this functionality working and what was not working.

I have put these settings into the news_items view under the teaser field.

Like said in #13 you need to use code to trim fields in the preprocess function.

Thanks.

I used this function to trim the teaser: http://www.lullabot.com/articles/trim_a_string_to_a_given_word_count

Thanks for the link, you could also use the following code which is a copy of the code used in views:

Only the parameters are not used

        // add slide_text variable
        if (isset($result->node_revisions_teaser)) {
          // cut teaser on word boundary
          $value = drupal_substr($result->node_revisions_teaser, 0, 100);
          // cut  teaser further on word boundary
          if (preg_match("/(.*)\b.+/us", $value, $matches)) {
            $value = $matches[1];
          }
          // Remove scraps of HTML entities from the end of a strings
          $value = rtrim(preg_replace('/(?:<(?!.+>)|&(?!.+;)).*$/us', '', $value));
          // add ellipses
          $value .= '...';
          //Scan input and make sure that all HTML tags are properly closed and nested.
          $value = _filter_htmlcorrector($value);
          $slider_items[$key1]['slide_text'] =  $value;
        }

The original code is in the function: function render_trim_text($value)
at line 450 of sites\all\modules\views\handlers\views_handler_field.inc

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.
(used the code, but did not test it much with different string)

Thanks, this works great!

And because it counts the chars and not the words (like the Lullabot article) it is much more usefull.

As I was checking HTML validation I realized, that it is better if we remove all HTML tags.

So I think this would work also:

// add slide_text variable
        if (isset($result->node_revisions_teaser)) {
          // remove all HTML tags
          $value = strip_tags($result->node_revisions_teaser);
          // cut teaser on word boundary
          $value = drupal_substr($value, 0, 100);
          // cut  teaser further on word boundary
          if (preg_match("/(.*)\b.+/us", $value, $matches)) {
            $value = $matches[1];
          }
          // add ellipses
          $value .= '...';

          $slider_items[$key1]['slide_text'] =  $value;
        }

But there is still one problem. If the teaser contains for example a '&' sign. How can I encode it to '&'?

#21

Code looks good to me and useful if you don't allow HTML. Thanks for posting.

If you only want to encode & to & you could use a string replace for this just before you add the ellipses.

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

Is there a PHP or Drupal API function for making valid HTML chars?

Here is the code for the '&' replacement:

$value = str_replace('&','&',$value);

You could probably use htmlspecialchars() or htmlentities() which is are PHP functions.

$value = htmlspecialchars($value, ENT_QUOTES);

the translations performed are:

'&' (ampersand) becomes '&'
'"' (double quote) becomes '"' when ENT_NOQUOTES is not set.
''' (single quote) becomes ''' only when ENT_QUOTES is set.
'<' (less than) becomes '&lt;'
'>' (greater than) becomes '&gt;'

If you require all HTML character entities to be translated, use htmlentities() instead.

$value = htmlentities($value);

Hope this helps you further, please let me know.

Thanks! The code now not only works great but also provides valid HTML too.