I'm doing the re-format/re-write for Profile module. Given that Profile was slated for a big change that didn't happen, but surely will happen for D8... I'm a bit stuck. Can anyone address these questions, give some guidance, send me in the right direction?
As part of the D7 Help Text Fixup project, I've taken on the Profile module. Given that Profile was slated for a big change that didn't happen, but surely will happen for D8... I'm a bit stuck. Can anyone address these questions, give some guidance, send me in the right direction?

Here are some questions:

  2. Is there anything about Profile module's limbo-ness that needs to go on the help page now for D7? Open source process should be transparent. I don't think we should hide the fact that this module is on its death bed, even as we ship out a brand new version. Microsoft wouldn't do that; but we aren't Microsoft, for a reason.
  3. For folks building new sites (as opposed to upgrading from D6), should they be encouraged to attach (CCK) Fields to users as a better practice than using Profile module's special and certainly-by-d8-to-be-dead fields?
  4. Can we trust an upgrade path in the future out of Profile will be rock-solid or is it preventative maintenance to use (CCK) Fields instead now?
CommentFileSizeAuthor
#15 help_profile4.patch4.61 KBarianek
#13 help_profile3.patch4.4 KBbatigolix
#13 screenshot_023.png79.5 KBbatigolix
#11 drupal-635056.patch4.5 KBtobiasb
#10 help_profile2.patch4.62 KBarianek
#10 help_profile_after2.png95.5 KBarianek
#6 help_profile.patch4.6 KBarianek
#6 help_profile_before.png53.29 KBarianek
#6 help_profile_after.png91.23 KBarianek

Comments

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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Primary language English
commented

My 2 cents:

- I don't think we need to mention that profile is going away, as there is no guarantee it will actually go away, and if it does, a migration path will DEFINITELY be provided. That was actually why Profile wasn't upgraded in D7, I think -- because the new Fields system didn't have anything to replace Profile's categories... I think that was the stumbling block, anyway.

- I do think we should mention that as an alternative, you can add Fields to users... but only if there is a user interface for doing so in core. I don't think there is one at this time -- I saw a UI for adding fields to Taxonomy and to content types, but I didn't see one for users. Correct me if I'm wrong here?

webchick’s picture

webchick
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Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented

I agree. We write documents for the current reality, and should be geared around what comes out of the box in Drupal 7. The list of things people intended to get into Drupal core and didn't for whatever reason wraps from here to the sun and back a few times. ;) We also don't make mention of Views module in the Tracker module help, etc. so this would be inconsistent.

The Magical Unicorn Ponies Profile module in contrib, once it exists, is perfectly at liberty to write in its own help file that Profile module sucks and you shouldn't use it.

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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commented

Magical Unicorns!! I want some Magical Unicorns!! :)

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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commented

Meanwhile, webchick: am I correct that there is no UI for adding Fields to Users in D7? I didn't see it.

webchick’s picture

webchick
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Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented

There is, though it's buried (admin/config/people/accounts/fields or something), and I think it needs to be removed, but we're fighting about it at #608894: Resolve the conflict between the fieldable users UI and the profile module. But in any case, whatever is decided there is within the domain of user module, not profile module, so the help here just has to describe what Profile module does.

arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Status: Active » Needs review
StatusFileSize
new help_profile_after.png91.23 KB
new help_profile_before.png53.29 KB
new help_profile.patch4.6 KB

no patch was posted, so i went ahead and took a first stab - added a bunch more info about what profile module enables (with some advising from @webchick)

arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Assigned: Shai » Unassigned
jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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Primary language English
commented
Status: Needs review » Needs work

Hmmm...

I don't think we need to list all the field types that are part of the profile module. I think it would be more helpful to explain about what you can set up -- something about how that as an admin, you define fields that all users can add information to, to build a user profile where everyone on your site answers the same questions. Or something like that.

I'm not getting from the Author information block uses section that it displays information about the author of the current page (if in fact that is what it does)... and which profile fields -- all? some? (having never used this, I don't know off-hand)

I'm not sure the explanation of the people from canada page is all that clear, and is the link to path "profile" correct? Isn't it just that when you are viewing a user page, you see tabs for the profile sections?

And I don't think the concept of profile sections (categories?) is explained here at all..

I'm probably rambling, but anyway I think this needs some more thought.

arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Component: profile.module » documentation
arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Status: Needs work » Needs review
StatusFileSize
new help_profile_after2.png95.5 KB
new help_profile2.patch4.62 KB

- modified the stuff about adding fields
- fixed some code
- tried to incorporate some of @jhodgdon's comments, but yes /profile is really the "user list" page, where all users are displayed (try it on d.o to see), not sure what you mean about profile categories, and @webchick told me about that block, and so...?

someone pls review/test this and post a new patch if you have changes, thanks!

tobiasb’s picture

tobiasb
Primary language German
Location Berlin
commented
StatusFileSize
new drupal-635056.patch4.5 KB

-remove 2 empty t()s
-'<dt>' -> '<dd>'

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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Primary language English
commented
Status: Needs review » Needs work

This text makes much more sense to me. Two minor comments:

a) I think a "For example" is needed before talking about the specific example of "people from canada" though.

b) I also think that the author information block section needs some attention. It currently says:
"The Author information block is a default block created by the Profile module. It displays user information, and can be enabled on the Blocks administration page."

What type of "user information", and for what user?

batigolix’s picture

batigolix
Primary language Dutch
Location Utrecht
commented
Status: Needs work » Needs review
StatusFileSize
new screenshot_023.png79.5 KB
new help_profile3.patch4.4 KB

new patch including fixes for jennifer's comments

arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Assigned: Unassigned » arianek
Status: Needs review » Needs work

found a typo - rerolling

arianek’s picture

arianek commented
Status: Needs work » Reviewed & tested by the community
StatusFileSize
new help_profile4.patch4.61 KB

example was spelled wrong - fixed and rerolled. looks good to me otherwise.

webchick’s picture

webchick
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Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented
Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Fixed

Committed to HEAD!

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)
Issue tags: -d7docs, -d7help

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.

Issue tags: +d7docs, +d7help

Restoring issue tags, see #2125755: System messages removed all issue tags during D7 upgrade.