I would like to rename my add-on David to StickyDavid (or something) to make it more meaningful and perhaps easier to find when looking for an add-on to do what it does. I also need to update it for the config settings update issue. So, what would be the easiest way to do this? I guess I could just add a new add-on with this name, but is there a way to obsolete the old David add-on?
A question that could belong to this discussion: Where to put instructions. Do you prefer to have everything centralized in the readme.txt or do you think that what concerns a file should go in the comments of this file ? or even Both ? Anyway, I think that configuration files should be pretty documented.
Concise commenting in the code where (especially where you have options and settings) and an in depth ReadMe with included FAQ (this will grow from the discussion page of the addon). That gets my vote.
[quote] * [-Stash-]
block userblock comment# 20
Extensions don't respect base URL # 5
Relative and absolute URLs... what's best practice? I would think that absolute URLs using WEB_ROOT and the like would be best no?
[/quote]
Absolute url, is not the best way to go, in my believe.
first:
if you only use relative urls to the domain, all extentions will always work. It is impossible to add "fixed" absolute paths in an extention since the addon creator does not know on what domain the site will be. If the base url in the vanilla settings is set to / then all links will be relative.
second:
Relative urls is very easy scalable, and you can put a round-robin dns to serve multiple front-end webhosts to 1 database on 1 domain, or multiple sites like forum1.mydomain.com forum2.mydomain.com etc without the need to set up each server, just copy the settings and it will work. This also can be used for migrating from one server to another without downtime.
third:
A simple baseurl tag in the core will make all links absolute, no need to program it each time in every php line. This will make it less server intensive Each time the GetUrl is called the server is doing the job, better let the client do it.
Fourth:
Ever had a user complain he was logged in when he had logged out, logged out when he hits a link or a tab. This only occurs when you use absolute paths. On programmer has to forget the geturl in one place, and your users will run in to it, guaranteed.
Why not avoid the problem all to getter and don't use them, What isn't used can not be forgotten
Wow a lot of text for a small point, sorry for that
Relative URLs introduce a dependency on the directory structure of Vanilla. Calls to GetUrl don't1. I'm all in favor of relatives when it's the same directory or deeper, but using relatives to go up a level is just begging for trouble.
Quite honestly, using relative paths going either up OR down through directories is just the same if not a little easier than stabbing around for a directory that doesn't exist under an absolute path. But that's all depending how you're use it in the first place. However, you could use both and string it together by calling the absolute base path from the config and building out the rest via the given relative which is probably the best practice if your installation and config is fairly standard.
For those fortunate enough to develop on a Mac...
Open terminal, cd to the directory you're going to tar up, and run this:
find . -name .DS_Store -ls -exec rm {} \;
Problem solved.
Although, I haven't heard anyone complain about them damn windoze Thunbs.db files, or damn dreamweaver _notes dir's... <cough cough>
All annoying, but I've only personally come across .DS_Store rubbish from those fortunate* enough to develop on a mac... * You related to Wanderer?
Disclaimer: I'm sure there are some addons with both the Windows thumbs.db and cross platform Dreamweaver _notes crap in them, I just haven't found any.
I agree. They are all pretty annoying. But at least thumbs.db and _notes still allow you to extract the contents of a Zip file without any errors. That DS_store crap doesn't. Have to use WinRAR or go in the file and specifically select the files.
But they are all pretty annoying.
settings/?PostBackAction=InlineImages In the panel you'll notice two headings, Options and Extension Options. Please can all extensions put their options/settings in the latter (Extension Options)? When everything just gets dumped in the the "Options" list it just makes it harder to navigate the standard Vanilla options. Also, having the link say "settings" is a little overkill once it's under the "Extension Options" heading.
I suggest that a future release of Vanilla actually makes it impossible to add things to the "Options" list and keep it as a core settings area only. In the mean time, here's a brief list of extensions that put their settings in the "wrong place":
Account Pictures 1.1 - "Account Pictures Settings" <- redundant "settings" Page Management - different name from the extension Announcement 1.2 - redundant "settings" Custom Styles 2.1 - different name from the extension "Style Definitions" Forum Statistics 0.4.5 Friends 1.7 - redundant "settings" /me got bored here...
Attachments, Packer and Contact Form also have the redundant "settings" although they are in the correct place.
Comments
Anyway, I think that configuration files should be pretty documented.
Edit #1: that is, not as much.
DS_Store Cleaner
Simply drag and drop the folder(s) onto it!
<cough cough> indeed!
Posted: Wednesday, 25 July 2007 at 10:08AM
* You related to Wanderer?
Disclaimer: I'm sure there are some addons with both the Windows thumbs.db and cross platform Dreamweaver _notes crap in them, I just haven't found any.
Posted: Thursday, 26 July 2007 at 7:11AM
Attachments: no readme
Delicious Bookmarks: contains a screenshot .gif
Discussion Pages: no readme
Discussion Tags: contains __MACOSX folder and .DS_STORE
MarkAllRead: does not have any folder structure inside the zip. files unzip directly into the extensions folder.
Nuggets: contains __MACOSX folder, .DS_STORE and no readme
Saved Searches: no readme (oops mark!)
Thankful People: no readme
UserInfo Tooltip: no readme
Since when does MySchizoBuddy develop on a Mac?
Posted: Monday, 6 August 2007 at 7:31AM
I'm pretty sure MySchizoBuddy develops on Windows, if so how on earth did the __MACOSX folder, .DS_STORE files get there?
Posted: Monday, 6 August 2007 at 9:16AM
settings/?PostBackAction=InlineImagesIn the panel you'll notice two headings, Options and Extension Options. Please can all extensions put their options/settings in the latter (Extension Options)? When everything just gets dumped in the the "Options" list it just makes it harder to navigate the standard Vanilla options. Also, having the link say "settings" is a little overkill once it's under the "Extension Options" heading.
I suggest that a future release of Vanilla actually makes it impossible to add things to the "Options" list and keep it as a core settings area only. In the mean time, here's a brief list of extensions that put their settings in the "wrong place":
Account Pictures 1.1 - "Account Pictures Settings" <- redundant "settings"
Page Management - different name from the extension
Announcement 1.2 - redundant "settings"
Custom Styles 2.1 - different name from the extension "Style Definitions"
Forum Statistics 0.4.5
Friends 1.7 - redundant "settings"
/me got bored here...
Attachments, Packer and Contact Form also have the redundant "settings" although they are in the correct place.