Ctools presentation

“This suite is primarily a set of APIs and tools to improve thedeveloper experience”

Controlling the Chaos

What is Ctools?

1

Plugins2

Exportables

3

Ajax Responder

4

Form tools5 Object Caching

7

6

9

8

What is Ctools?Contexts

Modal dialog

Dependant

Content

10

Form Wizard

What is Ctools?

Exportables01

“Tools to make it easier for modules to have objects thatlive in database or live in code, such as 'default views'.”

What is Ctools?

AJAX Responder02

“Tools to make it easier for the server to handle AJAXrequests and tell the client what to do with them.”

What is Ctools?

Form Wizard03

“An API to make multi-step forms much easier.”

What is Ctools?

Modal Dialog04

“Tool to make it simple to put a form in a modal dialog.”

What is Ctools?

Object Caching05

“Tool to make it easier to edit an object across multiplepage requests and cache the editing work.”

What is Ctools?

Contexts06

“The notion of wrapping objects in a unified wrapper andproviding an API to create and accept these contexts asinput.”

What is Ctools?

Plugins07

“Tools to make it easy for modules to let other modulesimplement plugins from .inc files.”

What is Ctools?

Dependant08

“A simple form widget to make form items appear anddisappear based upon the selections in another item.”

What is Ctools?

Content09

“Pluggable content types used as panes in Panels andother modules like Dashboard.”

What is Ctools?

Form Tools10

“Tools to make it easier for forms to deal with AJAX.”

What is Ctools?

Exportables11

“Tools to make it easier for modules to have objects thatlive in database or live in code, such as 'default views'.”

What are Exportables?

A standardized way to define “configuration presets”.

Can be stored in the database or in code

Built in export/import functionality

Advantages of ExportablesPortability of configuration settings

Allows configuration to use version control

Allows override/revert functionality

Avoids loading data from database

Allows for Drush and Features integration

Using Exportables

Setup your project

Implement hook_schemaexportable_demo.install

Implement hook_schema

Export section is unique to exportables

exportable_demo.install

Implement hook_install

Don't forget to call hook_install

module.install

Define the UI

Use Ctools plugins to define the UI

exportable_demo.module

Define the UI/plugin/export_ui/exportable_demo_ctools_export_ui.inc

Define the UI/plugin/export_ui/exportable_demo_ctools_export_ui.inc

Default Presetsexportable_demo.module

Tell Ctools that we support our default presets

Default Presets

Define the actual preset

exportable_demo.module

3rd Party Module Presetsthird_party.module

Tell Ctools that we support our default presets

3rd Party Module Presetsthird_party.module

Define the actual preset

What is Ctools?

AJAX Responder02

“Tools to make it easier for the server to handle AJAXrequests and tell the client what to do with them.”

Advantages Ajax ResponderAjax without javascript

Part of “core” in Drupal 7

Much simpler than AHAH

Fails gracefully automatically

SEO Compatible

Define the AJAX callback

Using Ajax Responderajax_demo.module

Requires two hook_menu items

Using Ajax Responderajax_demo.module

Using Ajax Responder

Add a link

ajax_demo.module

Ajax Responder Commands

Ajax in php

Command functions all take the form:

ctools_ajax_command_[COMMAND_NAME]

1

append

2

replace

3

prepend

4 after

5 before

7

6

9

8

Ajax Responder Commandsremove

changed

alert

css

10 attr

11

redirect

12

settings

13

data

14 reload

15 submit

6

Ajax Responder Commands

What is Ctools?

Form Wizard03

“An API to make multi-step forms much easier.”

Advantages of Form WizardMultistep forms are hard in Drupal

More like FAPI

Allows for better organization of UI

Allows for better organization of code

hook_menu callbackform_demo.module

Add required wizard and cache includes

Setup multistep array, form settings, callbacks, Labels and IDs

Load form from cache

Render the actual form

This is the hardest part

hook_menu callbackform_demo.module

Add wizard and cache includes

hook_menu callbackform_demo.module - form_demo_page()

Multistep array: form settings


Multistep array: form IDs and labels


Setup form cache


Render the form

Define form step 1form_demo.module

Just a normal hook_form


Normal hook_form_validate too!


Not quite a normal hook_form_submit


Use choices from step 1 in step 2


Not quite a normal hook_form_submit


Even in last submit, dont' save

Define form callbacksform_demo.module

Finish Callback – finally we can save


Next callback – set the cache


Cancel callback


Used for passing data between steps

What is Ctools?

Modal Dialog04

“Tool to make it simple to put a form in a modal dialog.”

Advantages Modal DialogModal popup without javascript

Standardized way of creating modal

Build to handle forms

Easy to theme

Implement hook_menumodal_demo.module

Two menu items, page and modal

hook_menu callbackmodal_demo.module

Add js libraries and create link

hook_menu callbackmodal_demo.module

Create Modal with any form

Modal dialog themingmodal_demo.module

Add an array of settings

Modal dialog themingmodal_demo.module

More modal options

Modal dialog themingCtools-ajax-sample.js

Must be in Drupal.theme.prototype namespace

ReferencesExportables:

http://drupal.org/node/928026

Ajax Responder: http://zroger.com/node/30

Multistep forms: http://www.nicklewis.org/using-chaos-tools-form-wizard-

build-multistep-forms-drupal-6

Modal dialog http://zroger.com/node/31

Technology

Ctools presentation