hmmm - So noob ..I just understood I didnt understood Widget

Ok, Sorry for this but something’s wrong to me :

I found in the Documentation’ pages the widget part.

But.. where are the widgets
Is that code to download (and Where?)

Is this embeded into Modx?.. well if so Can somenone redirect me to an detailled explanation of for example the Marquee Widget. this link http://www.modxcms.com/marquee-widget.html does not tell nothing to me. Where is the widget, How do I call it, wich syntax to use ..??

I desperatly seek around but all I found are dev’ talk but I miss the very beginning about the widget concept.

Thanks a lot for any help.

Widgets are the output of TVs. Go to the Manager, Resources, Template Variables, and create a New TV. You will see the various options for input for the TV, and the drop-down for Widgets. Input can be text, a chunk, php code, even a database query. The widget will take that input and do ... whatever with it, depending on what widget you select.

well, looks clearer.

But a simple exampe would be the best for me : if one could post me a link to such a thing, he’d make my day.
Where did I miss this in the online doc ...

I can see now that Widgeet are the result of TV. So I needa understand How to use TV. The more I dig into Modx, the more it appears to be a pure dev’s tool.


Thank again Susan for your help. I’ll check this out as soon the manager responds :° ))

Regards

Actually, probably stupid, but I just cant figure out the relationship between the Marquee TV control panel (for example) I see, and my goal :

putting a square div somewhere to display a rotating content that could be either
some pix stored into a specific folder, or some html that displays some text and/or graphics...

I dont wanna know about the sql DB structure and its fields, not my purpose.
(hope not an obligation)

-in the TV control panel what is the Value or defaut value ?
if some script language is to be used inside what is it ?

where can I find an explanation about the concept: I’m sorry but the "What is a TV" dont say so and goes directly to concepts for people that must know something I probably dont.

I’m affraid being ’only’ html/css aware is not the right way to play Modx. PHP coder or DB manager seams to be quit better (?)
Very disapointed. looks like Typo3 and his messy typoscript suddenly looks even easier than Modx.
So sad to me.
:’(
hope I’m wrong

Quote from: elz64 at Oct 13, 2006, 12:38 PM

The more I dig into Modx, the more it appears to be a pure dev’s tool.

It is fair to say that MODx is oriented toward two specific audiences at this point in time: PHP web developers (or web developers who are interested in embracing PHP) and web designers (especially those who have embraced XHTML, CSS, and other related standards into their work). It is essentially a content management framework that gives web developers and designers the tools with which to build and maintain a totally custom, dynamic web site. And to that same end, the content management features are configured and prepared by the MODx developers and/or designers to allow contributions to the site directly from the site stakeholders without compromising the standards on which the site was built. These are common problems for modern CMS systems, and most fall-short in providing this flexibility to those that want more fine-grained control over the rendered content, and demand the proper separation of presentation, content, and logic. This is what I consider the current target for MODx. As MODx matures and continues to be successful at attracting developers and designers, you will continue to see a lot more of the end-user oriented, out-of-the-box CMS features, and plug-and-play type add-ons that most people still associate with the PHP open source content management scene.

And BTW, I’ve never used a widget personally, and have deployed several dozen MODx sites over the past year and a half. Master the basic concepts of TV’s first; they are much more important. And there are lots of other ways to achieve a Marquee; and probably some that will be more cross-browser compatible. But this goes back to what I consider the primary goals of the MODx project; providing a flexible framework and toolset to help you quickly include the web assets and techniques you want to use, not ones that have been prefabricated and provided in the product to fit the needs of a few, forcing the rest to hack it into shape.

WOW.

Jason, that was absolutely beautiful.

From one who feels fairly competent at XHTML and CSS (main headaches are browser compliance, not ability), but who is still very new to php/mysql and even CMS, you really captured MODx.

While I at times feel frustrated trying to sort my way through, of course I also have to remind myself that I’ve only been playing with MODx for a little over a week now, I’m also excited and looking forward to what MODx has to deliver... the ability to piece together a custom solution, without having to write, and know how to write, endless amounts of code, and not be stuck with the confines of a pre-packaged CMS solution.

...always a dangling carrot to strive for.

Master the basic concepts of TV’s first

well, ’ll try. But I still do not see the application of this, in real life.
Without whole bunches of exampleS I can’t learn. That’s the way I work.

And there are lots of other ways to achieve a Marquee; and probably some that will be more cross-browser compatible.

I’ll be glad to learn. But if the stuff is already inside Modx....

Once again I’m not a developper and many aspects of documentation are made for developpers, so sometime one word out of six could say nothing to me.

The chapter for TV only says
"syntax : bla bla
many sentences I dont understand"
but not : " This exist for doing this, like that".(and AFTER the syntax) and a couple of full examples.

the explanation for @binding (for example) is absolutly sci-fi to me :
extract ...

The value returned from the data source can either be a string value (including numbers, dates, etc), an array or a recordset . The value returned is dependent on the type of binding used . Some display controls will attempt to either convert the returned value into a string or an array .

For example, controls that accept string values such as a radio button group or select list will attempt to convert a record set (rows and columns) into the following format:
col1row1Value==col2row1Value||col1row2Value==col2row2Value,...hoach!

What the hell this means?

And also I dont see how a "chunk" can be a ’data source’ as it only html that display things organised through CSS..etc
I only understand I have to write some PHP code to make a real site and sometime use MODx functionality to help.

Some basics are missing to understand the philosophy . I’m stuck.

So strange and painful, while I used to understood fast during 16 y or IT career....

Take a look at the TVs I use on my site (log in as the guest manager and look around). I often use a TV with the "textbox" or "raw texbox" input type to control the content of a sidebar or some other block on my page. Then when editing a specific document, I can put whatever I want in the textbox for the TV for that document. If I wanted to, I could use a "rich text" input type and use the RTE instead of a plain textbox for the same input.

Other times I’ll use a TV to generate a certain bit of content depending on what page it is using some PHP code, with the @EVAL binding. Then the TV will have the PHP engine evaluate whatever I put in there as php code.

I can use @CHUNK, and have one chunk "HomePageChunk", and on the home page document have @CHUNK HomePageChunk, and on all other pages have "@CHUNK InnerPageChunk". In this case, I’d have the default be @CHUNK InnerPageChunk, and only edit the TV on the home page. All the other pages would just use the default.

So the TV’s "data source" is wherever it is getting the stuff it needs, such as HTML you enter, php code results, or a chunk or document you specify, and its output can be either exactly what you put in, the returned results of some code processing, the contents of the chunk or document content you specified, or it can be formatted by a widget.

thank susan I’ll do that.