System-Check

[cmb]

Hello Community,

perhaps you have already seen the system check in some plugins (hi_ckfinder; nearly all of my plugins). Should something similar be implemented for CMSimple_XH? Is it useful? Could it be improved?

Christoph

[Tata]

It is very useful feature and I see it as the MUST for the future skripts. But I would place it really under a separate system function instead of putting it directly in e.g. plugin self. Often it resides belov the plugin-admin-menu and take place that might be used for other purpose (e.g. some very basic help, syntax, etc.).

[cmb]

But I would place it really under a separate system function instead of putting it directly in e.g. plugin self

The system check of CMSimple could be placed under Settings>Info. Regarding the plugins: I don't like the way I have handled this for all my plugins till now. To improve the usability the user should see the "Main Settings" directly after choosing the plugin from the menu. The version info/license and the plugin's system check should be available elsewhere. These informations might even be presented by the plugin manager, but this would require some common standard all plugin authors should agree on...

[Tata]

There are many apps checking the version of installed software right now. The simply check the source webpage and compare the version number presented and installed. If there is new version available they either make the installation of better let the user choose if it shall be downloaded/saved/installed. Mostly all installed applications are shown in one list with necessary information.
Such way it probably might work with core and plugins. It would of course require to follow some convention. This service might be IMHO the best be handled by a special plugin that would read some special file from plugin folder or some special block on the very beginning of the plugin/index file.
E.g.:
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[cmb]

This kind of automatic update for plugins would be great -- but I'm afraid it's not easy to implement. For desktop applications it's done with the help of installers (MSI, Inno Setup etc.), which makes that kind of simple. But for a web application typically hosted on shared servers it's not so easy to do.

The update availability check OTOH shouldn't be a big deal, if some conventions are followed by the plugins. Holger announced quite a while ago, that he's has something like this. For this reason he delivered his newer plugins with a *.nfo file. If a plugin manager will be implemented for CMSimple_XH this functionality might be easily integrated there.

[Tata]

...For desktop applications it's done with the help of installers (MSI, Inno Setup etc.)...

Then there's no crucial need for automatic installer/updater. Simply only the download (full version package)/update(only changed files) links to a proper file. Mostly the webmasters have no problem to use FTP and the endusers seldom make their own installations. They also mostly have some more skilled webmaster aside. And finally - it is also no big deal to learn how to use FTP.

[svasti]

Hi Christoph

To improve the usability the user should see the "Main Settings" directly after choosing the plugin from the menu. The version info/license and the plugin's system check should be available elsewhere.

That's what I thought too and put it into Calendar and Memberpages.

The simply check the source webpage and compare the version number presented and installed.

Calendar does this in a simplyfied way. It looks at the file calendar_version.txt in my downloads folder.
But what if an author abandons his plugin? And somebody else takes over? The old plugin will not know the new URL.

May be a plugin could look for the newes version nr also at cmsimple-xh.com? If we have at cmsimple-xh.com a plugin which lists all working plugins according to category etc., also the latest version-nr could be deposited there. May be this listplugins plugin could have a button "check latest version of all plugins". Either visitors of the site maintainer could press this button once in a while.

If CMSimple would check the availabel version at cmsimple-xh.com, it would be practical if it would also get the versions of all plugins. We could also have notices like "Security update" "Development seems to have ceased" "Plugin abandoned" "Author in mental asylum" or even worse "Author defected to Get Simple "

svasti

[Tata]

Maybe some central place would be great to keep all available plugins. Authors the could set the plugins there. So the download URL remains always the same. Some of us might take care of downloading/uploading all new announced plugins.
There would then be fine to have except of plugin name, version, basic syntax also the author's URL kept in e.g. the plugin.info file.
Then the item in admin menu should first check all installed plugin.info files and compare the "info array" with this in plugins-repository. Any difference should then be extended by download buttons (full download | upgrade download). The author's link then may be kept visible only somewhere in plugin admins area.

[cmb]

Calendar does this in a simplyfied way. It looks at the file calendar_version.txt in my downloads folder.

I was very impressed, when I saw the functionality: simple & effective! But for the plugin manager (or whereever else the functionality should go) I can image some AJAX: the list of plugins shows a "checking for updates" GIF, while requesting the latest version. As soon as it's received, it is compared with the currently installed version and the result is shown. This should be only some LOC thanks jQuery.

But what if an author abandons his plugin? And somebody else takes over? The old plugin will not know the new URL.

A very good point And having a basic plugin repository on cmsimple-xh.com is a great idea IMO. But indeed that requires some programming, as AFAIK no such solution is available. I can do that, but I wouldn't be sad, if somebody else would tackle that task.

or even worse "Author defected to Get Simple "

[svasti]

Hi Christoph,

And having a basic plugin repository on cmsimple-xh.com is a great idea IMO. But indeed that requires some programming, as AFAIK no such solution is available. I can do that, but I wouldn't be sad, if somebody else would tackle that task.

I am afraid this is not a trivial thing.

At least we can give some suggestions:
The Plugin, lets call it Pluginfinder, could use Memberpages/Register_mod to enable trusted people to enter new data.
The plugin would also be a showcase of what CMSimple is capable of, so it better be attractive.
I just had a look at Joomlas "extensions page" http://extensions.joomla.org/, not bad, although a bit sluggish as typical for joomla. There is lot's of informtion about the individual plugins, wow!
I don't know if we need also all that amount of information.
I wouldn't put rating into it (hey I don't want my plugins to have a low rating ), but comments are quite useful.
So what about:

• Category(array),
• Name,
• Version,
• Date of last release,
• Compatibility,
• Licence or Cost,
• Developer,
• Download site,
• History of Plugin/previous developers,
• screenshot(array),
• description,
• user comments

May be somebody else has some suggestions?

svasti