Add "optional" checkbox to require contexts within mini panels

I made some mini-panels context-optional on a client project a few months ago in a somewhat hard-coded fashion. I'll dig out that code and work on converting it to work generically.

@stevector Can I help you dig for it? I need this too, but I'd like to see how you did it since that'll save me some lurnin'

The alter approach I used looked like this:

/**
 * Implements hook_ctools_plugin_post_alter.
 *
 * This hook allow us to change various callbacks for plugins. Here it is used
 * to change the functions called to define mini_panel content types.
 *
 * hook_ctools_plugin_pre_alter is also available. I do not know when one would
 * be more advantageous than the other.
 */
function custom_ctools_plugin_post_alter(&$plugin, &$info) {

  if ($plugin['plugin type'] == 'content_types'    && $plugin['module'] == 'panels_mini') {
    $plugin['content type'] = 'custom_panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_type';
    $plugin['content types'] = 'custom_panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_types';
  }
}

/**
 * Return each available mini panel available as a subtype.
 *
 * This function serves the purpose of an alter hook on panels_mini content types.
 * This changes the required context of the header mini panel into an optional context.
 *
 * This function runs when selecting single panels_mini content types.
 */
function custom_panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_type($subtype_id, $plugin) {
  $output = panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_type($subtype_id, $plugin);

  // Change a required context into an optional one.
  if ($subtype_id === 'header' || $subtype_id === 'node_sidebar') {
    $output['required context'][0] = new ctools_context_optional(t('Node'), 'node');
  }

  return $output;
}

/**
 * Return each available mini panel available as a subtype.
 *
 * This function serves the purpose of an alter hook on panels_mini content types.
 * This changes the required context of the header mini panel into an optional context.
 *
 * This function runs when selecting all panels_mini content types.
 */
function custom_panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_types($plugin) {
  $output = panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_types($plugin);

  // Change a required context into an optional one.
  $output['header']['required context'][0]       = new ctools_context_optional(t('Node'), 'node');
  $output['node_sidebar']['required context'][0] = new ctools_context_optional(t('Node'), 'node');

  return $output;
}

I'm changing the title of this issue because this is a doable patch and there is already a TODO in the code for it: http://drupalcode.org/project/panels.git/blob/refs/heads/7.x-3.x:/panels...

I'm not sure when or if I'll have time to work on such a patch.

The patch should just be a form alter on the required context form to add an "optional" checkbox. Then a conditional check for that setting in _panels_mini_panels_mini_content_type_content_type().

And I suppose there are UI concerns around how confusing it'd be to have a "required" context be optional.

Here's the patch. Perhaps the UX concern of required vs. optional could happen in a follow up issue.

It works for me, good job! I patched 7.x-3.3 and it applied and worked there.

I'll specify what I tried: I made 2 minipanels with optional contexts, and each showed the id of the contextual argument entity as content. I then placed them in a container panel. One of the 2 got fed the context and the other didn't. Worked as I would expect where they both could be added to the panel, and he first just didn't show it's content (the one that didn't get it's optional context).

The form alter is too permissive, and it will cause the [] optional checkbox to show up in places it shouldn't. For example, add a 'string' context to any panel page, and you'll see that checkbox, with mini panel specific language.

I actually think the checkbox should just be attached to all required contexts in CTools, though, so I don't really like the form alter as a patch here.

Patch flying in, implementing merlins hint:
* one patch for ctools with the optional-checkbox only for required contexts.
ui text similar to optional-checkbox of views-content argument input.
* one patch for panels

please test so we can get this in!

Patch against current dev!

And tell the bot!

OK now that the bot gave green lights please do some manual tests.

remember: you need both:
* panels-1588212-10.patch
* ctools-1588212-11.patch

It looks like the ctools patch and the panels patch should have their own issue, so created #2405187: Add "optional" checkbox for required contexts for ctools.

So ploease ignore the ctools patches here, the patch to commit is the panels patch i just requeued.

This works.

so the green panels patch from #10 is rtbc as of #22.

sorry again for the confusion by mixing projects.

The upstream ctools patch got in, this one looks good too. Committed.

This breaks existing sites if we do not fix #2399313: Relationship silently left out if it has optional required context

I created a follow up issue to this one so that Mini Panels when sometimes used with the block system (for components sometimes needed outside of Panels) will work with optional context.

#2508433: Blocks dont support recent addition of "optional" checkbox to require contexts within mini panels

patch 10 works here coupled with https://www.drupal.org/node/2405187#comment-9499937

https://www.drupal.org/node/1588212#comment-8801845 patch for panels (panels-1588212-10.patch) worked for me as well. Would be great to get this in!

So, #10 was already commited to Panels. And to answer #27, Ctools 1.9 includes the needed patch. So I think this is Fixed and not "Needs Work"