phpwcms Support Forum

I think it is time for a general discussion about the meaning, function and sense of replacement tags (RT) in contrast to content parts (CP). In my opinion it is necessary to get a clear differentiation because newer development (especially in the hacks section) show that there is a growing uncertainty of how to deal with new functions. Release new functions as content parts or as replacement tags??

Ok, this is just a brief introduction with some thoughts of mine:
As I understand the main purpose of replacement tags is to offer meta functions such as creating minor dynamic areas. Lets take the show_content RT for example. It does not have a benefit on its own it is just a function in the system to call specified content. But what about the show_calendar RT it is content and should therefore rather be a CP doesn't it? Hmm, strange.

Another example: Oliver rejects the userpanel cause he wants the login to be a replacement tag, but the newsletter registration is a content part? Sorry, but there is something wrong I think!

At this point you should get my intention:

I definitely want to keep the sense in the system, I would like to arouse your attention to this topic, please don't mix it all up. There is a difference that makes a difference


At first I'd like to try to collect all the pros and cons:

CONTENT PARTS:
Pros:
Easy to set up
Easy to manage
Easy linking to each other (example: linking from login to registration)
Logical Context
You see what you have in your sitestructure
Easy assigning to certain structurelevel
can be used with different settings

Cons:
Uncomfortable to place in the layout (create special content area or user show_content RT)
Some kind of installation necessary



REPLACEMENT TAGS:
Pros:
No real installation required
Can be placed anywhere (articles, layout, wherever)
Can be used with different settings
Are dynamically rendered on ANY page if put into the layout!!

Cons:
Many of them are uncomfortable to use (see all the users with the Nav_LIST_UL Problems)
No backend Management implemented
Not as handy as CPs (copy and paste??)



What do you think? Does it make sense to you?

In my humble opinion i'm much more for the replacement tags. CP's are just apparently easier to use.
Let me show you my point

In very short: 100% of my customers ask me for dynamic sites.
90% ask me to update it on their behalf, paid.

Since i always think customer first, I honestly don't think it makes any difference on them, but it does on me. Installing a content part takes ages, and pain. RepTags are just drag and drop, and if i set it right once it's just not a problem anymore.

Short example: most of my layouts are full of {URL} tags whereas i create separate content parts here and there, give them the given layout and intent and it's done. Check http://www.radiobase.net as example.
Doing that with content parts would be a severe pain in the ass to program, and a much more severe pain in the ass for the user to update.
The "trasmissioni" menu on top right, for example, is just a plain page with blank template called with a {URL} tag, not a template thing. Do it once, update it forever. The user wants to add a page to the menu? Easy done, even more than explaining administration and having to create dynamic menus. Create the page, create the link, period. And the article categorization? Just "related" tags. Period.

That's the real wcms strength to me. You can push and pull it everywhere.
Yes, i still miss some features, and i even proposed some to Oliver, but i can survive that, for now.

So fulvio votes: reptags

Hi Phalancs,

Appreciate your thoughts ....and.... your contributions to wcms. Knowing OliG - contentparts are likely something he wishes to have 'untouched'. But your point is well taken. It would be nice to think about a means to distibute and register CP's within a wcms installation - I am guessing you might be one of the first to create such.

Regarding your comments on CP:
Easy to set up
Easy to manage

Hmm - have you created a working CP - My understanding is that there are a lot of contingencies. In the back of my mind - have been thinking about creating a custom "flash contentpart" - something Fulvio would be interested in - hehe - Hey Fu i do understand your points ... I think Phalancs has raised good ones as well.

I had often same minds. Especially as I started two years ago with phpWCMS. It was strange for me to understand the pros and the cons of RP and CP. But in the meantime I found my best way to handle them. Normally I use RP inside my templates. If I need something from deep of the system then this is the fastest and easiest way to get it If I need a formular inside the backoffice which prevents or reduce that customers make mistakes (because this contains some business logic) then I prefer this inside a customized CP.

On my travel pages for example I have two guys who were maintaining hotel information. At the first time I explained them to use CP text and I gave them a manual which explains step by step based on screenshots and annotations what kind of information must filled in and in which order. The result was disastrous. The system worked very well, but the result was that every hotel information looks different. After that I decided to develop a custom CP. The system worked very well too, but this time the result was that every hotel information looks like the others. In the meantime they created over 600 hotel information without any help from my side

In this conjunction it would be great, if we could get a guidline to implement custom CP in the system. If I can remember correct, than I must still modify one original phpWCMS file to make the CP available inside the backoffice. May OG will implement a logic like he did this for RT. However at this moment it works great and I wont complain

Br
Wolfgang

Thanx for your comments, I think all your your thoughts are completely right.

But where should the border between both kind of systems lie? Basically (and literally taken) I would say CP are for "content" and RT for "functions". I am sure nobody will disagree.

But what about many of the Mods released so far? (Galerix, Blog, Teaser Ex, Ex Data...) They finally all become a RT! Why????

Ok, I know the reason lies within the concept of Mods but I think it does absolutely not make sense to have a gallery called via a RT.

The integration of "Mod Content" is completely against what I think RTs are for.

Finally I think that It would really make sense to have the userpanel as a RT, cause basically there are hardly any necessary things to configure.

Well my conclusion is that the Mods principle should end in combination with Content Parts! Somehow its the same idea Oliver once had with the forum things.