Currently the panels-based home page provides a decent default that can be customized via the Panels in place editor. However, it has two problems:
- Creates a dependency on several features (all that provide pane content to the home page).
- Can't be customized without overriding the feature.
Using Context Field, Boxes and Views Boxes for layout control outlines an alternative worth considering (though it depends on some theme-based layout functionality). #1331134: Consider adding context + boxes support for laying out section pages is a dependency.
Possible interim approach:
- Remove use of Panels.
- Replace existing home page with a menu callback that returns an empty string. This allows the page to be constructed entirely with Context.
- Produce a context that sets a layout using Context panels layouts.
- In each Debut feature, provide views-based blocks and alter this context, adding one or more blocks in the regions provided by the selected layout.
Alternate approach:
- Retain use of Panels but provide an empty panels page.
- In each Debut feature, alter this panels page, adding one or more panes in the regions provided by the selected layout.
Either approach would result in a flexible and additive home page design and solve the current issue of dependency--that the home page feature needs to require specific other features that provide its panel panes.
Comments
Comment #1
nedjoI've posted a module, Context panels layouts, to enable this functionality.
Comment #2
nedjoSketched an approach in summary that would not as yet require Boxes or Context node.
Comment #2.0
nedjoSketch in approach.
Comment #3
nedjoComment #4
ezra-g CreditAttribution: ezra-g commentedThis is a common enough issue for all distributions powered by Panels that we could address it by investigating #1557842: Allow Feature module exports to add Panes to Existing Panels, rather than moving away from Panels.
Comment #5
sonicthoughts CreditAttribution: sonicthoughts commentedSee cross post: http://drupal.org/node/1736922#comment-6361586. My vote would be Panels or Display Suite.
Comment #6
Robin Millette CreditAttribution: Robin Millette commentedRelated: #1664956: Make Open Outreach Panopoly-based
Comment #7
nedjoCovered by #1736922: Move from Context to Panels.
Comment #7.0
nedjoFix typo.