Which way is better to do an application?

peregrine

It seems that the technique used in Members List 1.1 is clearly much easier to add an application, then using custom pages plugin or writing an application and placing in the applications directory. I hadn't seen this technique used before,but I like it.

Any comments by the vanilla developers or any others?

also a question about this statement. Where and what does default reference? And can you explain this statement a little bit better.

$Sender->MasterView = 'default';

Tim

How about elaborating on "the technique used in Members 1.1"? I have no idea what that is.

Tim

'default' refers to the master template name. Look in applications/dashboard/views

peregrine

thanks Tim. the plugin is here.
http://vanillaforums.org/addon/memberslist-plugin

essentially just adds a menu item in the plugin
and a view

class MembersListPlugin extends Gdn_Plugin{

      public function Base_Render_Before($Sender){
        if(Gdn::Session()->IsValid()){
         $Sender->Menu->AddLink('Members', T('Members'), 'plugin/MembersList/');
        }
      }

     public function PluginController_MembersList_Create($Sender){
        if(Gdn::Session()->IsValid()){
            $Sender->ClearCssFiles();
            $Sender->AddCssFile('style.css');
            $Sender->MasterView = 'default';

          $Sender->UserData = Gdn::SQL()->Select('User.*')->From('User')->OrderBy('User.Name')->Where('Deleted',false)->Get();
          RoleModel::SetUserRoles($Sender->UserData->Result());

            $Sender->Render(dirname(__FILE__).DS.'memberlist.view.php');
        }
        }

        public function Setup(){
        }

    }

Which seems so easy. compared to doing a custom page messing with routes, or fooling around in the application directory.

My question is primarily because - although I understand some of the basics of vanilla, many things still elude me.

peregrine

Tim said:
'default' refers to the master template name. Look in applications/dashboard/views

so if I wanted to just to understand this better.

create a file called peregrine.master.php

and set the view this way to use the peregrine.master.php

$Sender->MasterView = 'peregrine';

Linc

My test is that I build an application if I need multiple controllers (multiple sets of grouped actions). Otherwise, I use a plugin.

Todd

We create very few new applications and when we do they are major. Plugins can do a lot and is what I'd recommend. The render call in the above function isn't exactly how I'd do it.

$Sender->Render('MemberList', '', 'plugins/MemberList);

In this case you'd put the view in /plugins/MemberList/views/memberlist.php.

Tim

But yeah, the way you showed there is exactly right: attach a new method to the PluginController and use it as your own entry point.

What @Todd said about the view is 100% right and also applies beyond this example: If you find yourself doing dirname(FILE) anywhere, you've probably done it wrong and should be using a constant like PATH_PLUGINS, or a convenience method.

peregrine

Wow! hit the trifecta of developers here. thanks.

@csakip thanks for the plugin. learned alot on this one.