The question raised from a few other issues regarding the inline module.

Shall the inline module further treating images as a special inline method?
i.e. should it provide methods for displaying uploaded files and attachments in a similar way like the image/img_assist module does?

Background: If an image is uploaded and referenced by the inline module, currently it is not treated as a normal content attachment. Instead, inline displays this image in the content like a embedded image.
One might say, this is the way I am using inline module on my site - to embed images in contents.
Another one raises the question: What if I want to provide the given image as download and not as an image - isn't the inline module providing those attachments to contents, so that they can be inlined whereever the author wants to make them available?

There are several issues regarding the abilities to embed images with the inline module.

I'll try to make my opinion to this clear: I would not expect inline module to handle images in a special way. I would expect that inline always displays an attached file for download purposes. As of Drupal module guidelines every module should only provide one functionality. If I'd to implement a way to upload, manage and display images inside contents I would build my project using the image/img_assist modules to achieve that - not only because they provide much more possibilities for handling and re-using images.

Please do not post any related bugs or feature requests into this issue. This issue is only intended for voting and investigating.

Comments

sun’s picture

sun
Primary language German
Location Karlsruhe
commented
Title: inline and images? » opinions: inline and images?
Bèr Kessels’s picture

Bèr Kessels commented

Lets make the question simpler:

Should inline handle the auto-inlnie feature, or not.

IMO it should:
inline puts your images inline for you, in a predefined place, whithout you needing tokens and other stuff. UNLESS you tell it not to, or unless you provide a token to place that image elsewhere in your content. [1]

[1] This is not yet built and is a feature request, not sure if it was posted somewhere yet.

bwynants’s picture

bwynants commented

I like inline since it keeps stories and pictures together. delete a story and the pictures are deleted as well...

the way i explain it to users:
is the image already on the website (album) -> [image:...]
is it not attach it and use [attachment: ....]

site has currently 900 images si image_assist is not an option (not the last time I tried it)

BTW: I also use it to inline documents (as link off-course)

So keep it as is but sync the filter options

shouchen’s picture

shouchen commented

I agree with Bert. I like the option to keep the story and the pictures together. IMHO, the new features provided by http://drupal.org/node/32838 make the inline filter even better. If inline only listed files for download, and did not treat images like they are images, then it would be much less useful. Please keep special image handling in the filter, and add the enhanced syntax for theming, etc.

David Lesieur’s picture

David Lesieur commented

Regarding Bèr's question, I'd say yes, it would be great to support auto-inlining. For many users, tags (such as [inline:N]) are too difficult. And even where the users are able to use tags, I think auto-inlining would be most appropriate in many cases, because often we do not even care about where the images are to be placed.

However, I'm not sure there would be any benefit to implement this in the Inline module itself. I think something along those lines would be perfect in its own module, and still be compatible with Inline.

Regarding sun's initial question, I'm not sure I understand it. And I'm not even sure whether auto-inlining has anything to do with his question. ;-)

bwynants’s picture

bwynants commented

About the autoinline, could we not add code so that after the upload form is changed and an image or button is placed after the uploaded image? When clicked the inline code is inserted at the cursor place? some AJAX and forms magic should be able to do this?

Bert

Bèr Kessels’s picture

Bèr Kessels commented

@david. autoinline is already in!

@bert. maybe. But I vote for not doing all that now. We need to get this module clean, clear and consistent above all. Then once that is finished, we can look at additional niftynessess via JS and ajax. One thing we should look at, is hook into quicktags, for example. should not be hard, I did that once, had it hacked in for a 4.6 site.

sun’s picture

sun
Primary language German
Location Karlsruhe
commented

@David: inline module is the only module which allows you to display an attachment at any position in your content. You can inline any attachment, which is then displayed as a file download. But if you attach an image to your content you do not have the chance to display this image as a file download.

An example: You want to provide your organizations' logo as a file download in a content. You don't want to display this below the content in the list of attachments. Instead, you want to provide the download below the heading "Download our logo". This image has a size of about 2000 x 1000 pixels or whatever and is about 1 MB. You would not want that this image is displayed inline, even if it this resized to 150 x 150 pixels, because it's simply too big in filesize. But with the current inline module you do not have the chance to provide this image as a regular file download. Furthermore, there is no other module to provide this simple functionality (correct me if I'm wrong).

shouchen’s picture

shouchen commented

@sun: Currently, if the image size is larger than the size configured on inline's settings page, a link will be displayed instead of the image. And according to README.txt: "When dealing with images, they will be shown inline only if you use 'inline' syntax; any other syntax will print a text link to the file." Also, the new filter syntax implemented by the patch at http://drupal.org/node/32838 allows you to specify a "link" option (to force link instead of displaying the image).

David Lesieur’s picture

David Lesieur commented

@Bert: It would be great to have such an easy way to insert images. Until this kind of work can begin, maybe you could post a separate issue for that feature.

@Bèr: Wow, I was not even aware of the existing autoinline feature! That's great! Can't believe I missed it for more than 2 months... Many thanks.

@Sun: I get your idea now. ;-)

Bèr Kessels’s picture

Bèr Kessels commented

David: how do you suggest we make this more apparent? If you missed it, then others did that too, for sure.

IMO this is a killer feature, because core somehow refuses simple image handling all along. but it needs the usability, clarity and transparancy above all. We should improve that at all costs IMO.

shouchen’s picture

shouchen commented

@Bèr: Perhaps an explanation of the auto-inline feature on the /admin/settings/inline page with a link to admin/settings/content-types would make it more apparent. When a new module is installed, the admin always has to go to its settings page to configure it. So, that is a great place to find out what the module offers.

Also, /admin/help/inline says nothing about the auto-inline feature. Nor does /filter/tips/1#filter-inline.

David Lesieur’s picture

David Lesieur commented

I think shouchen has it right. I missed it because the related setting is in admin/settings/content-types. And I agree this is a killer feature, so it should probably be mentioned on http://drupal.org/project/inline.

Another culprit might be the smallish 150x150 default for inlining images. Maybe the default should be much bigger, say 450x450, so that the inlining has more chance to occur when one tries the Inline module for the first time. If the default size is too big and destroys the site's theme, then the admin can always reduce the max size.

Bèr Kessels’s picture

Bèr Kessels commented

opened a thread for that specific issue http://drupal.org/node/65200

bwynants’s picture

bwynants commented

@Bèr: if you mean with quicktags what I did in http://drupal.org/node/32838 I agree and we should get that in place. Link or no link can be added per image then. This is the first thing we should do. The ajax is less needed....

Inline based on filesize or node type is too restrictive for my needs. Also users would not now what happens, sometimes inline, sometimes link...

Bèr Kessels’s picture

Bèr Kessels commented

@bert no what I mean is a hook_quicktags_insert

Can we not open a group on groups.drupal.org to discuss whats needed and where inline needs to move? Issue threads are horrible for this kind of collaboration and discussion.

sun’s picture

sun
Primary language German
Location Karlsruhe
commented
Status: Active » Closed (fixed)

Link of #14 should read http://drupal.org/node/65642 (better explanation of inline module).
Closing this issue.

sun’s picture

sun
Primary language German
Location Karlsruhe
commented

Grandmasters of Inline! Your insight is needed! If you can devote some time to discuss usage of hook_filter() (which is heading towards the goal of having an Inline API), that would be very appreciated!