simplelayout.base 2.0b2

Introduction
============

SimpleLayout is an easy to use package for creating content pages.

SimpleLayout provides an intuitive way of adding and arranging the different
elements of a page such as paragraphs, images, files and links using
drag-and-drop functionality.
These elements are implemented as addable and easily arrangeable “blocks”.
Because of the restricted dimensions of text, images and other content elements,
the general result is content with a uniform look and feel throughout the site.


How to use SimpleLayout
=======================

1.) Add a new Page from the "Add new" dropdown.

In this page one can now add the following page elements:

- File
- Image
- Link
- Page
- Paragraph

2.) Add a new Paragraph from the "Add new" dropdown:

- Provide a title for the new paragraph (not required) and check "Show Title"
to determine whether the paragraph title will appear in the page's body text.
- Provide body text for the paragraph.(Of course one could use this first
paragraph to provide the text for the whole page, but that would defeat the
purpose of having easily arrangeable "blocks" of text and other page elements)

Image tab:

- Browse for an image and provide a caption and alternative text.
- Determine whether the image is "clickable", i.e. whether the image source can
be opened in a new tab. If collective.greybox is installed, it will use
greybox to show the image.

Settings tab:

- Provide keywords/tags for categorization purposes.
- Specify "Related Items": If the "teaser" box is checked, related items of this
paragraph will be displayed underneath the paragraph.
- Provide "Creators" (Persons responsible for creating the content of this item).
- Allow comments.
- Determine whether this paragraph should be included in the site navigation
(by default it is not included).

When saving the paragraph, one is redirected to the edit tab of the parent page.
Here one is presented with the option of editing the page as a whole, or editing
one of the sub-elements of the page.
The layout of the recently added paragraph can be further manipulated using the
layout icons in the top panel of the that paragraph.
The paragraph can also easily be deleted from here, or its order in the page
changed using the "ordering" arrow icons in its top panel (will be removed,
you should use the drag'n'drop funtionality).

3.) Add an Image to the page from the "Add new" dropdown:

- Browse for an image and provide alternative text. The Title is used as the
image caption.

4.) Add a File to the page from the "Add new" dropdown:

- Browse for and add a file (for example a pdf). The file download link will be
displayed in the page content.

5.) Add a Link to the page from the "Add new" dropdown:

- Specify an external link, which will be displayed in the page.

6.) Add another page:
The parent page acts as a container in which sub pages can be added.
These will appear in the site navigation.


Page Layout:
------------

To add layout functionality to the page as a whole, go to
"Site Setup" => "Simplelayout Configuration", and check "Show Design".
A "Design" dropdown will be added to your SimpleLayout pages, from which you can
choose one of 3 possible layouts: Normal, Two Columns, Two Columns One on Top
Here one can also determine the dimensions of the layout columns by providing pixel
values in the other 2 "configuration" tabs.

Go to the edit tab of your SimpleLayout page and choose another layout from the
"Design" dropdown.

In "Two Columns" designs it's possible to align the blocks like a table.
Use the "align to grid" link in the top panel of the page.

Drag and drop functionality:
----------------------------
Drag the existing content blocks into the other areas of the newly created layout,
by clicking on the top panel and dragging the block to the desired position.


Support of following products is allready included
--------------------------------------------------

* collective.greybox
* Products.PloneFlashUpload
tested with
http://svn.plone.org/svn/collective/PloneFlashUpload/branches/dunny-flash-10-support-via-swfupload-2.2


Simplelayout provides the following features:
=============================================

simplelayout.base
-----------------
* Base functions
* Base layout rendering
* Base block actions
* Base viewlets
- one column
- two columns
- two columns with one column on top
- controls
* configlet
- simplelayout is completely configurable TTW, including image sizes and
column dimensions
* design menu
- choose between the different designs/layouts
* includes block configuration adapters
- all block configs such as layout, image sizes, block height etc, will be
saved in an adapter (annotations) for every block
* upgrade steps
* base JS functions
- align to grid (for two columns designs only)
- helper functions

For more information check simplelayout dependencies:
* simplelayout.ui.base
* simplelayout.types.common
* simplelayout.ui.dragndrop


FAQ
===

This FAQ provides some technical information/answers.

:Q: After reinstall I lose my configlet configuration?

:A: Do not reinstall simplelayout.base using QI, but rather use portal_setup
import steps.
Because the configlet data is stored in a local utility, in the event of a
reinstallation the utility will be removed (all data is gone) and added
again with default values. The following example shows how to change
the sl configlet default values with setuphandlers in a policy package.

imports::

from zope.component import getUtility
from simplelayout.base.interfaces import IBlockConfig
from simplelayout.base.configlet.interfaces import ISimplelayoutConfiguration

config.py::

SL_CONFIGURATION = {'same_workflow' : True,
'show_design_tab' : True,
'small_size' : 145,
'middle_size' : 302,
'full_size' : 614,
'small_size_two' : 66,
'middle_size_two' : 145,
'full_size_two' : 300}

method in setuphandlers.py::

def simplelayoutConf(self):
sl_conf = getUtility(ISimplelayoutConfiguration, name='sl-config')
for key in SL_CONFIGURATION:
setattr(sl_conf,key,SL_CONFIGURATION[key])


:Q: How does simplelayout know which content type is a block?
:A: Simplelayout marks blockable types with the interface *ISimpleLayoutBlock*

:Q: Can I use simplelayout listings on other content types?
:A: Of course, just make sure your type provides the ISimpleLayoutCapable
interface and paste the following code into your template ::

<tal:block content="structure provider:simplelayout.base.listing" />

Make simplelayout blocks addable on your type.

:Q: Can I uninstall simplelayout.base?
:A: As many new packages based on component architecture, not yet...

:Q: How can I add a new image scale?
:A: ...

:Q: How can i remove them?
:A: Navigate to portla_types/blocktype in the ZMI, select "actions" and
remove the image scale from actions list.

:Q: I have a content type which I want to use it as block in simplelayout?
:A: Just register a BrowserView named block_view for the specific content type,
then z3c knows what to do. Example in simplelayout.types.common:

configure.zcml::

<browser:page
for="Products.ATContentTypes.interface.file.IATFile"
name="block_view"
template="file.pt"
class=".views.FileView"
permission="zope2.View" />

:Q: I would like to create my own design template?
:A: ...

:Q: Is there a possibility for blocks to show up as a portlet?
:A: This feature is under development and will be released soon.

:Q: How do you know in multible column designs, where to show up the blocks?
:A: Blocks has two additional interfaces: a slot interface and a column
interface. The slot interface tells the block where he should appear.
The column interface desides the image scale.


more info will follow...


TODO
====

* TESTS
* cache the hole rendered html of a simplelayout page (viewletManager)
* topic/collection block, with diffrent listings
* mess up JS
* collect ajax requests and sent them once
* better IE 6/7 and Safari JS implementation
* i18n/l10n (en/de) - better support
* fix block height, if moving blocks from two to one column.
* send feedback if ajax request fails


Copyright and credits
----------------------

simplelayout is copyright 2009 by 4teamwork_ , and is licensed under the GPL.
See LICENSE.txt for details.

.. _4teamwork: http://www.4teamwork.ch/

Changelog
=========


2.0b2
----------------
* added technical FAQ to README [mathias.leimgruber]
* added HowTo to README [arno.blumer]
* fix error while reinstalling [mathias.leimgruber]
* added more info to README/HISTORY [mathias.leimgruber]
* some IE7 JS fixes [mathias.leimgruber]



2.0b1
----------------
* create two columns layout [mathias.leimgruber]
* fixed dragndrop functionality for two columns [mathias.leimgruber]
* align two columns layout to grid [mathias.leimgruber]
- works great in FF 2.x - 3.x
- There are some display issues in edit-mode with IE 6/7
- edit-mode for safari and IE 8 not tested
* added a tow column view with a one column slot on top [mathias.leimgruber]
* added design menu [mathias.leimgruber]
* some fixes in sl-controls ajax reload [victor.baumann]
* reload block after moving arround [mathias.leimgruber]


1.0
----------------

* Initial release
* Extracted from plonegov.website 1.0 [mathias.leimgruber]
* Shipps base function for simplelayout [victore.baumann]
* simplelayout configlet included [mathias.leimgruber]
* based on:
- simplelayout.types.common
- simplelayout.ui.base
- simplelayout.ui.dragndrop