Template Feedback

[row1]

I have been in talks with moderator NRyan about improving the template system, we have had a fairly in-depth discussion and he has made some good arguments for tweaking it.

The first major thing that will be changed are the "Simple Tags". Instead of having {sr_title1} we will be providing more logical and easier to remember tags, it will also provide a nice/useful side effect. I will share the new tags as soon as it has been finalised.

The second thing is to do with where we store the templates and how we distribute them.
I would like some feedback from you the users on the following topics:
*Have you attempted to modify the templates?
*When modifying templates are you changing the layout/colours or both?
*What do you like and/or don't like about the current template system and folder structure?
*Are you just modifying review templates or are you changing others such as category and comment templates?
*If we provide "official" templates are you just interested in review templates or are you interested in a complete set of matching templates for categories, comments and top reviews?
*Anything else?

[NRyan115]

Oh also - comment templates may or may not be a mute point if we are able to integrate jreviews and get rid of the current comment system yes?

[row1]

Oh also - comment templates may or may not be a mute point if we are able to integrate jreviews and get rid of the current comment system yes?

Yes that will hopefully be the case.

[goldie]

Hello 

I modified my review template, I am using now 15 additional simple tags {sr_titleN}. I added javascript which is using simple tags for generating graphics. So I changed .php and .css files. You can see how it looks now:

http://www.kremasica.com/recenzije/34-Nega%20tela/263-nivea-happy-time-losion-za-telo.html

http://www.kremasica.com/recenzije/8-Samopotamnjivanje/67-nivea-sun-aerosol-sprej-za-samopotamnjivanje-quick-a-easy.html

I plan to change categories template in future. (I don't like system with table)

I am fine with template folder structure now.

I think that it is important to provide official templates for reviews and categories, because don't everyone knows how to change it. (I don't need it, but many people do.)

And I have suggestions:

1. Maybe it's good thing to provide backend administration for templates.
For categories template options like show/hide author, show/hide rating, show/hide thumb in table etc

2. Maybe to add tags (not simple tags), yust regular tags for each review, and when user click on tag, to show him list of reviews with that tag. (Like in Wordpress)
Or instead tags to have Related reviews with thumb image and tittle at the end of each review (and to include option in backend for show/hide related reviews).  And Related review will show random reviews from same category.

3. Navigation have to be better. Maybe to include in category template more visible for users where they are in that moment (in which category)

4. It's good thing that every category can have there own template for review. But, I have 25 categories with same template for review. So I had to make changes in all 25 categories for simple tags fields. Maybe to add option Save simple tags configuration and Load?

English is not my native language so sorry for mistakes. And I hope that I am not suggesting to much. 

[NRyan115]

in my opinion:

#1 - we use to have this in the much older versions and I think I miss it too - BUT I think it depends which direction templates go. If we keep templates simple such that it's basically tags then this should be added but if they involve more complicated things then it may be best to keep it in the files. I cant remember the reason for the change now, remind me Row? I think you told me but I lost it.

#2 - I think this would be a great addition to the request list, but shouldn't be a priority to the template system. After all, this proposal wouldn't apply to templates, it would apply to specific reviews. If you try to apply it to a whole template why not just use the category list to see all related 'tags' ? This would be a neat addition to reviews though - but IMO not as important as other requests.

#3 - Breadcrumbs, how did I not think of this already! Especially for nested categories?

#4 - Goldie why didn't you copy the default template to a new folder and call it "new_template" and then in each of your 25 categories just select the new_template from the drop down? I dont think you needed to creae a new template for each category unless you wanted 25 dissimilar templates.

Don't worry your english is understandable and you have good suggestions. Row1 is just trying to figure out how the users (you) are using Simple Review and understand how you tink and how to make life easier for you.

We have discussed specific changes in detail (a lot) and I am guessing it is easier for him to ask how people use it and like it rather than trying to explain the different options we have discussed. People's feedback here WILL help change and shape the component so speak now or forever hold your peace lol

[row1]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, your site also looks very good.

1. We used to have this when the templates were stored in the database. When I changed the templates to be file based I removed the editing since it contained php and the editor was not the best. I could provide this functionality but there would probably be WYSIWYG editor.

2. This is already planned - not sure if I mentioned it publicly but I believe I did mention the related reviews to NRyan.

3. The existing breadcrumbs could be improved.

4. Like NRyan I am not sure why you didn't use the same template, do you have different titles in each category?

[NRyan115]

having different titles in each category I think is probably why a lot of people have different categories. But even with different titles, the tags will fill in the correct title name and title value. I guess the only potential problem is (and I have never tried this) - what happens if your template calls sr_title4 but you only have 3 titles? Will it show up blank or throw errors?

If making a 'generic' template you would want to include many titles in the output but of course output nothing in those spaces if the titles are not used.

[goldie]

Maybe I didn't explain good enough, or maybe I didn't see that possibility. 

But...

I see that I have 3 types of templates:

1. Category template (dark and default) and that is how will category page with reviews will look like (http://sardless.com/reviews.html). Currently I am using default and I have plan to change this.

2. Default review template (blank, default, dark) and I made template name custom (custom.php) using simple tags to display data.

3. Default review content (blank). In this moment I am using blank.php, but in my older reviews and in previous version of SR I used recenzije.php. And where is that file now? I can't find it now? Where to change that if I want?

Problem is:
In my case, in previous version I had yust 3 sr_tittle, and 2 types of rating and I used that in 20 categories. I used to display them with recenzije.php in review content.
Now, in this new version I decide to change my reviews and to add more info with additional ratings, sr_tittles, list and links (you call them titles). So I had to add new title in each my existing category for new sr_tittles and ratings. And to select which template to use for default review template & content and to select category template for each category.

I don't have different titles for different categories and I am using same template for all reviews.

@NRyan115 When you have in review template {sr_titleN} that is not filled from backend for that review it yust shows word "sr_titleN".
I am using categories because my site is about reviewing cosmetics and I wanted to sort reviews for Body, Face, Hair, Men, Makeup and I am using categories for that. And subcategories: foot, hands, higiene, eyes, lips, face care etc.

I made suggestion to have option to save preferences inside category backend management, an load of course.

Uh that was long.

[NRyan115]

Hello Goldie,

I understand that you have many categories - there is no need to defend having many. I was only trying to say that if they all use the same titles then you should only have to make one template for the titles and then tell each category to use that new template as the default review template.

Now, that having been said - I know before if you changed the default template in a category it would only apply to NEW reviews that were added and not to old reviews. You would have to then go into each review to change the template but I believe that was apart of the reason for removing the tempaltes from the database.... am I right Row?

Heck I hope nobody listens to me I'm just a monkey puppet on a string here - making you feel like we are listening while Row takes vacations to cool places :p

Importing and exporting settings and templates I believe is already on the list of things to do, or of things requested to do.

Hmm, we need to have a breakout condition so if you use a title that doesnt exist it outputs nothing IMO.

[row1]

If a title doesn't exist then I can look at not showing the tag.

Goldie what version was your old template from? If the template for the review now says 'blank' then there is no template, the template is the review - as NRyan states the old templates were stored in the database as were actually more initial content for the review rather than a dynamic template.

And from your first question

1. Maybe it's good thing to provide backend administration for templates.
For categories template options like show/hide author, show/hide rating, show/hide thumb in table etc

I may look at providing some options for templates (a template can decided what options it supports e.g. two category templates may have different options). The reason why I removed options for the layout is because the configuration and was getting too complex and there were two many options.

[goldie]

Well, I get it that my content template (recenzije.php) is stored in database. Everything is ok now about that. tnx