Modularizing modules which use categories...

unknown

Message from Sean M Alderman via eLinkHas anyone here worked to develop modules which are base around the useof categories? Let me give an example...Quite some time ago we wrote a module which inherits from the folderobject. What's cool about it is that it if documents have a certain(perhaps several) category defined set, then the folder displays theattributes of that category as columns (much like size, moddate, andname are displayed). We have created several modules which are verysimilar in concept, but work using different categories.I'd like to see if anyone could post some ideas on how I might "fix"such a module to make it more category indepedant, so that the conceptcould be applied for any category my users might desire to have created.-- Sean M. AldermanITRACK Systems AnalystPACE/NCI - NASA Glenn Research Center(216) 433-2795

William__Li_(scoruser4_-_(deleted))

I've done some things that are similar in that I want the user to configure some aspect of what happens, either upon module installation, or else provide a request handler to modify settings in an INI file ater installation. Here's a couple of things:(1) Configuration upon initiation of a task: I have a user import script in a module, that a user initiates via a request handler with a web interface. The user selects a comma-delimited file with user info in it (probably generated from a spreadsheet that a client fills out), selects a group that the users should be added into (it's easy to generate a list of categories for them to choose from, or just give them a text field), and a field in which they specify what info is in the comma-delimited file, in what order ('lastname, firstname, name, title' would be typical). This configuration is required each time the function is run.(2) Configuration upon installation, example: when anyone installs the module, he is presented with a page that asks for certain settings (number of months before 'archival', number of months before deletion, etc, for one of my projects). These get written to the module.ini file, where they are used from then on.(3) Configuration at any time, example: a reporting module, where I've provided two request handlers that allow the user to see existing settings, and also modify & save changes to the settings (types of items to report on, and events for each item). These, too, are written to the module.ini file, the only difference between this and #2 is that the user has an interface he can use at any time, not just upon installation, to change settings.If any of these would help you, let me know and I can send you more details & code.