[custom_be_modules] Own BE navigation links

[Toflar]

Hey guys

I've just released another extension. I felt like it could be useful for the community as well and I like to share

Okay here it comes: custom_be_modules

This is a module that allows you to generate your own BE navigation links (don't ask me, writing the generator was an awful work haha). You can define icons, add translations and then forward it to any BE url you like.

Sounds strange? Well, it gets really interesting when we think of the catalog. Imagine you have three catalogs (customers, contacts and let's say references). Your customer now doesn't have to click on 'Catalog' first, then choose the right catalog and then edit the entries anymore!

Now you can add Customers, Contacts and References as three global navigation links and forward them directly to the right archive.

This just makes life easier and looks a bit more professional

Have fun and let me know what you think about it as usual

[Medianomaly]

Dude -- you rock! This is EXACTLY what I've been wishing I could do Check out this thread: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=857.

Between this, and that new extension that lets you create you create your own content elements, I'm loving the new flexibility and customization options I can have.

I can't wait to try it out. Great work, man!

[grambler]

It's really an awesome extension with a great enhancement of the user experience for the customer!

It gives the backend a whole new level of easyness in creating and managing content.
The great thing about it is that you can access not only different catalogs but news-archives and pretty much any element you can imagine!

[Toflar]

Hey Medianomaly!

Happy to hear you like it :D

Just released the next version of the module. Just read the release notes

On the German board, some people said, they can't create the BE modules. But I haven't got any error reportings yet and I think they are either not able to use the module ( :D ) or they have a server configuration problem that doesn't allow the module to create the config.php dynamically.

Ah, and a last thing: if you really like the module, there's a donate button now - just a subtle hint

Enjoy!

[Ben_360fusion]

Hi Toflar,

Love this module, it's just what is needed to link directly to the catalog modules items.

I installed this but it wasn't generating the links.

I checked through the configWriter.php and the config.php file and changed
### CUSTOMCONFIG START ###### CUSTOMCONFIG END ### in the config.php
to
### CUSTOMCONFIG START ###(.+)### CUSTOMCONFIG END ###

This then fixed evreything and i could generate content. maybe this was what was stopping people from being able to generate the links?

I amazed my self as i haven't a clue about php.

Great module
Cheers
Ben

[Toflar]

Hi Ben

You're quite right
The module really needs a content between the placeholders because it is looking for content to replace there.

But actually I wrote a comment in there and it should work this way. Are you sure you've tested the latest version?

By the way: I realized that the module is not perfect yet in conjunction with the catalog. But I'm working on it and let y'all know, as soon as I got a solution =)

[Ben_360fusion]

Hi,

I just installed it through Typolight repository so it should have been the latest version.

Just playing around with it now and it's very good.

I'd like to use your module to link directly to catalogs and set it up so a client admin with limited menu options in the backend could edit the site. Ideally without seeing the main catalog link.

When i set up a user group for a client who will maintain the website i hide things like the css editor, settings, page layout etc so they can only do the things relevent to them.

I'd like to hide the main catalog link and just show the links your module creates. This may not be able to be done through your module but if you could add functionality to hide main catalog link and only show the link to users marked as administrators that would be perfect.

This would enable you to build a site with all kinds of functionality that a client can update easily just using the catalog module.

Also if there was a way to hide the 'go back' button in the catalog once you go to catalog items your module generates that would be great.

Again, not sure if this is something your module could do.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers
Ben

[Toflar]

Ben, this is exactly what I'm working on right now and what I meant in the post before

The problem is - disabling the BE link means disabling the module and its functionality. I tried to get a new hook but haven't succeeded yet so I'm trying to find another way.

I need this for a customer as well so I'm really interested in this functionality as well and as I said - I'll let you know as soon as I got it

Thank you for your feedback!

[Medianomaly]

Heh -- Ben and I must think alike because those were the EXACT two things that made me think "Man, that would be really cool if...". I'm stoked to hear you are working on it.

Any by the way, your comment on donations is noted -- when I use it on a client project I will hit you up. I hope to kick back a percentage of each site in the future to the core and extensions that I used.

[Toflar]

Hey guys. I've requested a hook today and we'll see what Leo thinks about it. For me it would be the easiest and smoothest solution. But anyway. If not possible at all or not possible for TL 2.8 I'll use the outputBackendTemplate-Hook and kick the catalog link out of the navigation

Regarding the donations: This is what keeps the devs coding and coding and coding - thanks

[Toflar]

Well, what can I say?

I just couldn't wait and there it is - the new version is up in the repository

You now have an additional checkbox at the very bottom of every user group where you can hide the catalog link.
This requires a database field so you'll need to run the install.php if you don't use the built in ER.

After the update you have to generate the modules again.

Let me know how it works for your projects and have fun :D

[matchboxhero]

just installed this module to see what i can do with it. Im really impressed it works great and the new feature of being able to hide the catalog link from the client is great. Keep up the good work .

Ste

[matchboxhero]

Hey, i have installed this moudle on contao 2.9 and the hide catalog link at the bottom of the user group settings page does not work in 2.9, im not sure if this is because the catalog is not aproved for 2.9 or if this is a quick easy fix.

Ste.

[Toflar]

Might very well be possible

Will check that when I find a minute or two

http://dev.typolight-forge.org/issues/show/766

[matchboxhero]

Thanks

[Toflar]

But you know that it only works (should work) for non-admins?

[matchboxhero]

yeah i have a group of users set up and its still displaying for that group.

it just doesnt seem to be working for me, maybe its just my installation?

Ste.

[Toflar]

Will check that when I'm back from vacation

[matchboxhero]

no worries enjoy your vacation :D

[mechaflash]

I'm lovin this module... get so sick and tired of hitting themes and then clicking on the little icons for css/modules/layouts. rather have those in my main back-end navi.

[Toflar]

Just use my other module called easy_themes then :D

[mechaflash]

nah still annoying little buttons to press XD mouse sensitivity is pretty high so I can fly around the pages... it's not made for accurate clickage :D

[Toflar]

Don't see the difference between easy_themes in DOM-Inject mode and be_custom_modules apart from easy_themes being easier to use :D