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[PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news

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[PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news
This thread will contain news about the development state of the Extended links plugin.
Also suggestions, comments, questions are welcome.

Best regards,
Webmaster33


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Last edited by:

Ian: Sep 6, 2002, 6:28 AM
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Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
One of my earlier posts can be found here, which discusses the features of the planned Extended links plugin, and the development state at that time (Apr 25, 2002):
http://gossamer-threads.com/...t;post=193374#193374

Best regards,
Webmaster33


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Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
Features of my Extended Links plugin :
  1. Sorting links in a category feature (link reordering) ascending-descending by selected field (earlier discussed as "Customized link sorting") - implemented

    (note: colors in the screenshot above, depends on html code of website)
    +Good:

    • + Admin can set the fields which one to allow to sort by.
      E.g.: we allow to sort by ID, Contact_Name, Add_Date. So only whese fields will be displayed
    • + Admin can set the default order of each field.
      E.g.: default order of ID is Ascending, Contact_Name is Ascending, Add_Date is Descending.
    • + Admin can set special ordering for each field & order pairs:
      E.g.: if user clicks Add_Date Descending link, then will sort by "IsFeatured DESC,isNew DESC,Add_Date DESC", if user clicks Add_Date Ascending link, then will sort by "IsFeatured DESC,isNew ASC,Add_Date ASC".
    • + the current sortby field value in the link can be highlighted in the link


    • Basically it gives you great flexibility to customize links in any order. You can set special orders using this, like placing the featured links at the top.

    -Bad:
    • - no admin interface to modify these options, just in plugin registry (yet)
    • - no install script to install default settings (yet)

    • - no admin option to turn off displaying the Sort toolbar (yet)

    • - no option to set how the highlight is done in the link



  2. - Highlighted links feature - implemented, but not decided yet, to release it as part of Extended links or not

  3. +Good:
    • + useful to provide paid value added feature, by highlighting a link from the others. The sorting order is not affected for Highlighted links.

    • + highlighted links are displayed using link_highlighted.html, with unique lookout


    -Bad:
    • - no admin interface to set a link as highlighted, and back to normal (yet)

    • - no admin interface to add a highlighted link (yet)

    • - no payment interface to set a link as highlighted (is not planned)



  4. - Featured links (a.k.a. Priority links) feature - implemented, but not decided yet, to release it as part of Extended links or not

  5. +Good:
    • + Featured links add more financial power to your site, than the Highlighted links. Featured links because are not just displayed with unique customized lookput, but are displayed first in a category, top over the normal links.
    • .
    • + thanks to the enhancements of "Sorting links in a category" feature, you can do any kind of sorting. You can place first the featured links, sorted in descending order by date, then also sort the rest of normal links in descending order by date.

    • + featured links are displayed from template link_featured.html, with unique customizable lookout


    -Bad:
    • - no admin interface to set a link as featured, and back to normal (yet)

    • - no admin interface to add a featured link (yet)

    • - no payment interface to set a link as featured (is not planned)



  6. Span page feature - implemented
    Some screenshots:

    Screenshot of my personal page span toolbar. Lookout can be highly customizable. Shows first page.


    This is the 9th page. You could even imagine images in place of 4 buttons...
    (note: colors in the screenshot above, depends on html code of website)
    +Good:
    • + fully redesigned, customizable

    • + many options to change how to look, what to display

    • + delimiter between numbers are changeable in plugin registry

    • + feature to avoid displaying even hundreds of pagelinks. Only X pagelink on the left of current page and Y pagelink on the right of current page are displayed together. X and Y numbers can be changed in the plugin registry.

    • + 4 buttons are definable: go to First page, go to Last page, go to previous page, go to next page. These buttons can be either text or image buttons, by setting the correct html code

    • + the 4 buttons can use page number tags: go to First page: <%first_page%>, go to Last page: <%totalpages%>, go to previous page: <%prev_page%>,
      go to next page: <%next_page%>.

    • + if more pages are available, a " ... " sign can be displayed on the left and/or right sides, if more pages are available. This string can be changed in plugin registry.

    -Bad:
    • - no admin interface to modify options of this feature (yet)

    • - no install script to install default settings (yet)

    • - no option to change lookout of current page number (yet)



  7. X level [new] images feature (placed near links & near category names on category page &
    home page) - implemented
    +Good:
    • + works fine for links and categories

    • + user changeable html code to display X level new notification (so image or color text can be displayed)

    • + unlimited levels can be set. The only limit is your need (and the computer memory), that how many level do you want.


    -Bad:
    • - no admin interface to modify the displayable html code(yet) - now it can be changed right in the plugin code

    • - no admin option to turn off X level [new] images feature (yet)

    • - no admin interface to modify the levels (yet) - now it can be changed right in the plugin code


  8. Page Timer to measure display time (displayable in templates) - implemented
    +Good:
    • + the displayed format is the user format
    • + works fine, easy to use: just place the correct tag into the template


    -Bad:
    • - no admin option to turn off displaying the Page Timer feature(yet)

    • - no admin option to change the displayed format (yet)



  9. Link numbering - implemented

  10. +Good:
    • + the displayed format is the user format

    • + works fine

    -Bad:
    • - no admin option to turn off displaying the Link numbering feature (yet)



  11. Template based Related category names (template name: relcategories.html) - implemented

  12. +Good:
    • + works fine


  13. - Short form name storage in the DB (space saving), then long form name display in links on category pages & home page. - implemented

  14. +Good:
    • + works fine

    -Bad:
    • - no admin option to turn off this feature (yet)



  15. - Display Last X links (displayed on home page) - implemented

  16. +Good:
    • + works fine

    -Bad:
    • - no admin option to set how many last links to display(yet) - it can be set in the plugin code

    • - no admin option to turn off displaying of Last X links (yet)

    • - no admin option to set which field is based on (yet). - but can be modified in the plugin code. E.g.: Add_Date or Mod_Date



  17. - Group by similar links (means: when we sort by a field type, the similar types are grouped & separated. If we sort by Contact_Name field, then same Contact Names will listed together, and separated from other Contact Names by separator lines) - planned


  18. - Quick jump to Similar links group (downdrop menu to quickjump to groups on the page) - planned


  19. - Display only filled fields in links - planned


  20. - many options for all features above - planned

    As you know already, I'm developing it in my free time, so developments are going slowly. Currently I can not tell you when will be exactly released. Maybe at the end of this year.
    It is a commercial project, because I need some financial background to do the developments and offer some support for you. I did not decided the exact price, but it will be minimum $67 or higher.

    Anyway, I'm glad to gear about you, if you like this project or you are/will be interested in buying this plugin after release.
    Of course comments, suggestions are also welcome.

    From time to time I will get back to you with some news about state of the developments.

    Have a nice day Cool
    Webmaster33
    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    The plugin name was changed
    from: Extended link plugin
    to: Xtended Link Display plugin (XLD)

    Xtended Link Display (XLD) plugin is the new valid name of the plugin. The old one was mistakable with name of an another script...

    Release date of the plugin is still unknown. Altough the basic functionalities are already working, the admin interface and install script is still missing, which are necessary parts of a plugin release package.

    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    I'm still confused about this plugin. All the features seem to be features that can be implemented without the need for a plugin and are also very simple to implement, such as highlighted links and priority links....thats just a matter of adding new columns, isPriority and isHightlighted - they would be ENUM Yes/No and then all you need to do is add:

    <%if isHightlighted%>

    <%endif%>

    <%if isPriority%>

    <%endif%>

    ....in the link.html template.

    Again, the sort options are there by default in the admin panel and by the use of page.cgi....you can just pass in column names and ASC/DESC

    >>
    Page Timer to measure display time (displayable in templates) - implemented
    <<

    Why would you want people to see page load times?

    >>
    Display Last X links (displayed on home page) - implemented
    <<

    Already numerous globals available on the forum and resources section for this.

    Last edited by:

    Paul: Sep 6, 2002, 4:53 AM
    Quote Reply
    Re: [Paul] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    Quote:
    All the features seem to be features that can be implemented without the need for a plugin and are also very simple to implement, such as highlighted links and priority links
    ...
    <%if isHightlighted%>
    ...
    <%if isPriority%>
    ...
    the sort options are there by default in the admin panel and by the use of page.cgi....you can just pass in column names and ASC/DESC
    ...
    Why would you want people to see page load times?
    All? I've strong doubt, that you can solve all feature of that plugin using templates. Oh, and the speed consideration is also affected by templates and globals...

    As I already stated several times:
    1) Using template statements: Slows *VERY* much your LSQL speed. So eats more server resources. Template solutions => Inefficient
    2) Using globals: Globals are executed, while templates are parsed. The multiple database queries, the inline executions, each slows down a bit the - already slow - template parsing process. Also for database actions, executes more unnecessary queries. Using globals => Inefficient
    There are only a few cases, when I could advise using globals:
    . . a) when you give a solution for beginner user, and want a quick & easy solution for her/him to try it out or to show how it works.
    . . b) using some changeable variables, what user can easily change anytime. Mostly for text content.
    . . c) For quick solutions, when you only have the admin interface, and add a quick functionality to your site.
    . . d) You want to add a short, easy feature, which is does not worth to create a plugin for it.
    Maybe there are more, I do not care about globals in most cases.

    3) As for the link sorting-ordering. Sorting feature is much more flexible, than you describe here. I described it already in the feature summary, but maybe it was not clear enough.
    Does not matter. If the plugin will be ever finished, the users will see what it can do... Cool

    4) Page Timer? Why not? Personally I like it. It is optional, so who do not like it.... Wink

    5) Display Last X links: wow, you got me, that one is still solved as global, just because I was still lazy to move into the main plugin code. Angelic

    More Development news about XLD plugin:
    I waited for a new plugin hook from Alex, so I deferred the Xtended Link Display plugin development for a time, because that hook can simplify a lot things in the plugin.
    Now I got the patch, so then I finish the base developments of current other plugins, I will return to XLD plugin developments, and do some code cleaning, and add a few new features I need. Cool

    BTW: the goal of this thread was mainly to hold developments news and not really for discussion. We can discuss here, but we should not fill it with a lot posts (not stopping you, just stating the thread goal).

    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    Quote:
    All? I've strong doubt, that you can solve all feature of that plugin using templates. Oh, and the speed consideration is also affected by templates and globals...

    I said they are all things that are simple to solve or that already exist.

    Quote:
    1) Using template statements: Slows *VERY* much your LSQL speed. So eats more server resources. Template solutions => Inefficient

    Well I'm sorry you aren't correct, where are you getting this information from? ....infact a recent quote from Jason:

    http://gossamer-threads.com/..._string=loop;#199910

    Quote:
    2) Using globals: Globals are executed, while templates are parsed. The multiple database queries, the inline executions, each slows down a bit the - already slow - template parsing process. Also for database actions, executes more unnecessary queries. Using globals => Inefficient

    Your information is inaccurate. Template parsing isn't slow at all, it is very quick and the cached templates directory (compiled) makes it very quick indeed.

    Quote:
    There are only a few cases, when I could advise using globals:
    . . a) when you give a solution for beginner user, and want a quick & easy solution for her/him to try it out or to show how it works.

    That is absolute rubbish.

    Quote:
    4) Page Timer? Why not? Personally I like it. It is optional, so who do not like it....

    I never said I didn't like it, I said why would you want it?....why do you want people to see how long it takes to load a page?.....timing search results is the only time I can see this being useful and for debugging also.

    Quote:
    5) Display Last X links: wow, you got me, that one is still solved as global, just because I was still lazy to move into the main plugin code.

    But there is no reason to move it into a plugin, the existing globals found throughout the forum work perfectly well.

    Quote:
    the goal of this thread was mainly to hold developments news and not really for discussion.

    You can't expect to post a thread in a discussion forum and have no-one reply to it. If it is developement news you may want to consider placing it on your own site or making a webpage to display news and put it in your signature.
    Quote Reply
    Re: [Paul] [PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news In reply to
    Quote:
    Well I'm sorry you aren't correct, where are you getting this information from? ....infact a recent quote from Jason
    Jason? I know him as Jagerman.

    He wrote:
    Quote:
    GT::Template version 2.000 saw the introduction of parsing templates into Perl, as a speedup. We were expecting that the first parse would be slower, since we have to parse _and_ run the code, but much to our surprise, parsing and then running the code was actually faster than the parsing in version 1
    Yes, Jagerman is right. GT::Template v2.0 is several times faster than v1.0, because of compiling.
    And Yes Paul, I'm aware about compiling the templates, and that compiled templates are Perl executed.
    And Not, this does not mean, that I'm not right.

    Quote:
    where are you getting this information from?
    And I'm getting this information from my experience. I did profiled Links 2.0 (not right LSQL, but will do for LSQL too if needed).

    I wrote,
    "my experience with Links profiling is, that most of the time is spent in the template parsing, so the SQL queries are not the point, where we get considerable performance loss, compared to the full execution time (of course IMPO)".

    I profiled Links v2.0, so it is proven for me, that template parsing takes the most time in the LSQL page display process, compared to the full execution time. I did not profiled LSQL yet, but I can be sure, if somebody did, he found that the template parsing still takes the longest time in LSQL 2.x.
    I will do the LSQL profiling as I will reach the point, when I want to improve speed, and I have to do some optimizing. Later.

    Quote:
    That is absolute rubbish.
    It seems rubbish is, what you know about the template system. Wink

    Quote:
    But there is no reason to move it into a plugin, the existing globals found throughout the forum work perfectly well.
    There is good reason. Globals are slower, than a code which is inserted at the right point. Not noticeable slower, but slower. If I move into the plugin, I save multiple query time, the global does, and save the extra code I would need to install that global. It it is placed in the plugin, then the plugin is installed, so the feature what was global, too.

    When executing a global, you do the following:
    1) compile the template if it was not compiled
    2) execute the compiled template code
    3) continue printing text until there is a template tag.
    4) execute, or print what the tag contains (even a global)
    5) go to step 3) until the end of the code
    As you see, each tag stops execution, executes the tag code.
    The real overhead is the database connection and those queries, which may are executed several times, for each global, while if the plugin is doing good job, and re-use query data, then it is more efficient.

    However, when we are comparing time overhead to full execution time:
    1) Globals overhead taken from multiple queries, is really not much, when comparing to case, if we do in a plugin (but will be a slight difference). Globals should not take too much time from full execution time.
    2) Templates takes a lot percent of from full execution time. No matter that they was compiled and executed in Perl.
    3) Not really belongs here, but I also notice the clean_output (which is executed for each page).
    I suppose that, there is a noticeable time taken in the clean_output, which is executed for almost each template page. We discussed already with Alex about that. This will be proven only, when the LSQL profiling was done. A would not want to predict how much percent the clean_output execution takes.

    Profiling always brings some surprises, we did not ever thought!

    BTW: If anybody has profiling data about LSQL, please send me. I would be interested in it!

    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news In reply to
    Quote:
    Jason? I know him as Jagerman.

    I know him as Jason, I don't see your point?

    Quote:
    And I'm getting this information from my experience. I did profiled Links 2.0 (not right LSQL, but will do for LSQL too if needed).

    Not really sure what you said there but it sounded like you said you got your experience from Links2?....Links SQL is a different kettle of fish.

    Quote:
    It seems rubbish is, what you know about the template system.

    I know a lot more than you, trust me (and that isn't intended to be patronising), I've written my own parser based on GT::Template::Parser and so spent a lot of time looking at how Jason designed it and have a pretty good understanding of how it works.

    Quote:
    1) compile the template if it was not compiled
    2) execute the compiled template code
    3) continue printing text until there is a template tag.
    4) execute, or print what the tag contains (even a global)
    5) go to step 3) until the end of the code

    Well that proves my point above.

    I've written over 15 plugins, you've written err none, so I guess that gives me the edge in terms of experience.

    I guess we could argue about this all day but it would be futile.

    Last edited by:

    Paul: Sep 6, 2002, 9:32 AM
    Quote Reply
    Re: [Paul] [PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news In reply to
    Quote:
    I've written over 15 plugins, you've written err none, so I guess that gives me the edge in terms of experience.
    Not the quantity matters, but the quality! Wink
    That was the joke part.

    It seems, you feel you need to compete with me, and you are always proving for the forum, that you know everything better than others...
    Are you jealous to my plugins I'm developing, or to my knowledge? Or you are defending your prestige you reached on the forum?

    Paul, I'm not competing with you. Leave me alone, with my plugins, and there will be no conflicts between us!

    You are interesting man... Shocked

    I promised for myself several times, that I will not respond to your provocative posts.
    Now happens again. Bye.
    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news In reply to
    Hi guys, do you think the personal parts are a necessary part of the topic? Lets keep to the subject and be happy.
    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Xtended Link Display plugin development news In reply to
    - SUGGESTION for Span page toolbar feature:
    If next page and/or last page is not available, should be replaced with optional html code (e.g. greyed out if not available). The option should be named by adding '_inactive' string to normal name.
    Option names will be:
    - 'span_toolbar_first_button_inactive'
    - 'span_toolbar_last_button_inactive'
    - 'span_toolbar_next_button_inactive'
    - 'span_toolbar_prev_button_inactive'

    - CHANGE IDEA for Span page toolbar feature: <%first_page%>, <%totalpages%>, <%prev_page%>, <%next_page%> internal toolbar tags should be changed to:
    <%first_pagenum%>, <%totalpagenum%>, <%prev_pagenum%>, <%next_pagenum%>
    Reason: They are not descriptive enough. The tag name has to show clearly that it displays a number.

    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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    Last edited by:

    webmaster33: Jan 5, 2003, 6:29 AM
    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
      14. Related category names list divided into columns - implemented
      +Good:
      • + works fine

      -Bad:
      • - no admin option to set how many related columns to have - planned
      • - currently is based on build_category_columns option (if it's allowed, related category names will be divided into columns)


    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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    Quote Reply
    Re: [webmaster33] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    Just wondering, if someone is still working on the plugin or is the plugin going to be available for Links SQL 3.0 version?

    Thanks for the help.

    Vishal

    Vishal
    -------------------------------------------------------
    Quote Reply
    Re: [SWDevil.Com] [PLUGIN] Extended links plugin development news In reply to
    There is no active development on the plugin, as I'm busy now with my diploma work.
    My studies will be finished this year, so if I will have some free time, I will work on this plugin, too.

    Personally I also need to finish the plugin, as I need it on my website, but no schedule is available at the moment about the development.

    For the LSQL v3.x releases I will have to revise the whole plugin, as there were several changes which may affect this plugin, too.

    Best regards,
    Webmaster33


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