TinyPortal

Development => Support => Topic started by: Wichtlmex on May 15, 2019, 09:24:40 AM

Title: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: Wichtlmex on May 15, 2019, 09:24:40 AM
Hi,
I am still having basic dummy comprehension problems and need some help:
I can define the visible panels!
Blocks are displayed in panels!
Articles are displayed in panels!

But why am I asked "Display xxx panel" in the "Edit Article Category" screen? How are panels displayed in articles?

regards
Michael
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: @rjen on May 15, 2019, 12:28:58 PM
Articles are not normally displayed in blocks.
You CAN define a block that holds an article, but an article is usually displayed as a page.

On that page you can choose to show panels.

A block is assigned to a panel and can be linked to an article.
A block will only be shown on an article page if the panel to which the block is assigned is showing on the article page...
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: Wichtlmex on May 15, 2019, 01:45:05 PM
Hi:
"Articles are not normally displayed in blocks. "
I know.
I thought, articles were shown in a panel!

Trying to understand your post, it is the other way round: In the Articles settings I can adjust which panels are shown with the article.
So WHERE are the articles shown?

My understanding:
In https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php, there are blocks on the left side, I guess in the left panel.
I guess there is a Top Panel, containing the site map. And then two articles: "What is a FrontPage" and "Articles in FrontPage". Am I wrong?

Some time ago I saw a kind of sample page done by you, but I can´t find it anymore...

Regards
Michael
..... spending days now, trying to figure out the most basic things.... I hope the learning curve will improve after knowing them  :-[
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: @rjen on May 15, 2019, 02:57:19 PM
mmm, tried to answer from a phone, so not a lengthy as you may have wanted...

Sorry to say, but your interpretation of the docs page is wrong...

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php
This page is the TP 'frontpage' and this is configured to only hold blocks on that site...
So there are NO articles shown on the frontpage, just a series of blocks that link to articles..

On our docs site the articles are linked to from the frontpage.
Articles are grouped in categories.

Example category is the category 'Articles'
Each category has a page itself, showing articles in that category. In the category settings you define the layout and the panels showing on that category page.

The category page is:

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?cat=92

Here you see all articles in that category. the first one (WHAT ARE ARTICLES?) is showing in full, the others just as a link.
If you click on the article title you get to the article page itself.
This is the article page:

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=What-are-articles

Both the category and article page have two panels showing: the left panel (obviously) and the bottom panel (showing the Back to top link)

Panels themselves are explained here: https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?cat=94
...
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: Wichtlmex on May 16, 2019, 07:15:28 AM
Thanks for taking your time for me....
So let´s see if I did get things well:

Articles are not shown in blocks.
Articles are only shown on the front page.
The FrontPage contains an area for showing articles (is this = front-panel?)
Additional blocks can be shown on the FrontPage by activating other panels and putting them there.

I guess there is only a tiny little information missing in all the help and training documents.... or my English does not allow me to capture it.... but I am feeling I almost got it ;-)
PLaying around a lot, helps, but there are soooo many options  :'(
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: @rjen on May 16, 2019, 08:01:57 AM
Quote from: Wichtlmex on May 16, 2019, 07:15:28 AM
Articles are not shown in blocks.
Articles are only shown on the front page.
The FrontPage contains an area for showing articles (is this = front-panel?)
Additional blocks can be shown on the FrontPage by activating other panels and putting them there.

ahum...

> Articles are not shown in blocks.
Correct, articles are showing as pages, but there is one exception: you can create a block of type Single article - show a single article. Adopts some of the visual options for articles
This standard block type allows you to position a specific article in a block if you want that...

> Articles are only shown on the front page.
NOT correct.
Articles are showing on their own page. The Frontpage is a special page that you can customize to your liking. The frontpage has settings that allow you to choose what to show on the frontpage, articles CAN be showing on the frontpage, but they do no have to show...
Please read: https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?cat=95

> The FrontPage contains an area for showing articles (is this = front-panel?)
Correct, above mentioned settings determine what is showing in the Front panel

> Additional blocks can be shown on the FrontPage by activating other panels and putting them there.
Correct
Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: Wichtlmex on May 17, 2019, 10:33:25 AM
Quote from: @rjen on May 15, 2019, 02:57:19 PM
On our docs site the articles are linked to from the frontpage.
Articles are grouped in categories.

Example category is the category 'Articles'
Each category has a page itself, showing articles in that category. In the category settings you define the layout and the panels showing on that category page.

The category page is:

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?cat=92

Here you see all articles in that category. the first one (WHAT ARE ARTICLES?) is showing in full, the others just as a link.
If you click on the article title you get to the article page itself.
This is the article page:


I still can´t reproduce that, so more questions:
1. Are
"What are the articles"
"Creating an article"
"Article settings"
all categories? or is the first one the category and the rest are children?

2.
I set my FrontPage settings to "display only articles" and I can only see
I can´t see any article even I set articles but not the category title.
How to allow them?

3. What is a FEATURED article?

Regards+ thanks in advance
Michael


Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: @rjen on May 17, 2019, 02:57:25 PM
QuoteI still can´t reproduce that, so more questions:
1. Are
"What are the articles"
"Creating an article"
"Article settings"
all categories? or is the first one the category and the rest are children?

WHAT are you trying to reproduce? The Tpdocs frontpage is built up with non-standard blocks, so you will not be able to reproduce that without doing some PHP coding in the block...

The texts you are referring to are all titels of articles...
Clicking on the titles links to the articles themselves..

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=What-are-articles

If you see page= in the url it is an article...


QuoteI set my FrontPage settings to "display only articles" and I can only see
I can´t see any article even I set articles but not the category title.
How to allow them?

'You can only see?" what?

You will only see an article on the frontpage once you have flagged THAT article in the article specific settings to show on the frontpage...
Please read the documentation page: https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=article-specific-settings

QuoteI can´t see any article even I set articles but not the category title.

No clue what you mean by that...

Quote3. What is a FEATURED article?

That is also in the documentation: https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=58


Title: Re: Blocks/Articles/Panels - Beginners confusion!
Post by: Wichtlmex on May 18, 2019, 07:41:52 PM
Thanks rjen for yopur help and sorry for my confusing editing of my last question. Ignore it  :-[

I will continue trying and experoenting and come back with more specific questions.