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uCoz Community » uCoz Modules » Site News & Blogs » Can I make Blog category selection mandatory?
Can I make Blog category selection mandatory?
Boujohn
Posts: 36
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Message # 1 | 8:26 PM
Since there is no way to identify and display "uncategorized" blog posts, then there should be a way to make category a mandatory field in the system. Is there?

Thanks. John
Cyberdasm
Posts: 639
Reputation: 7

Message # 2 | 3:05 AM
Boujohn, as far as i know the blog module, depends in how you will handle your website. You can choose it whatever your purpose is and above all it is not a mandatory to be installed.
1F4BF3B
Sunny
Posts: 9296
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Message # 3 | 7:52 AM
Quote Boujohn ()
Since there is no way to identify and display "uncategorized" blog posts


Actually, uncategorized posts should be displayed as well. And unfortunately it is not possible to make the category field a required one.

I'm not active on the forum anymore. Please contact other forum staff.
Boujohn
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Reputation: 0

Message # 4 | 12:14 PM
Hi Sunny,

I know I can see the uncategorized posts as well ... the problem is that I cannot single them out. If we get a lot of posts to the blog and some of them are uncategorized, then it's going to be up to me (the Admin) to find those uncategorized posts and put them into a category. That' going to be pretty difficult if I'm wading through the "all entries" list.

So, generally when you have a situation like this, there is a way of viewing "uncategorized" ... effectively putting them in their own special folder by default where you can get to them.

If you look at how Firefox manages their bookmarks, for example -- if you click on the "star" icon you will bookmark the current page. That bookmark automatically goes into the "unsorted" folder where you can retrieve it easily and place it in a proper location. We need something like that here.

Another option for fixing this would be to allow me to remove the category field from the entry form. Then what I would do is to remove the "add new entry" link from the all entries page, forcing people to add entries only from their category blog pages. The category value then defaults, and if that field is not visible then they will not be able to change it, and the blog will stay in that category. I see that I cannot do that, but I can move it down to the bottom of the screen where it is less visible ... however obfuscation is not necessarily the correct solution here.

Either way, it seems as though this is a gap in the blog management process. I would like to log this as a bug or enh req (but I would call it a bug as it leaves a hole which can get you into trouble.)

For now I am doing the following:
* removing the "add new entry" link from the all entries page, so the users can only create new antries from the category pages, in which the category entry field will be defaulted to the current category
* moving the category field to the bottom of the new entry screen, out of sight, out of mind, hopefully they won't edit it way down there.

FYi, News has the same issue -- however News items are generally only created by Admins or Moderators, and they can be disciplined to categorize reliably when they create new posts.

Thanks. John

PS: Also fyi, the design templates appear to be a bit confusing. "blog main page" looks like it is the all entries page, which leaves "page of the entries archive" to be a misnomer because it doesn't have the "all entries" archive on it. The Site News template are a bit better because they don't have a "main page" template ... all of their viewing pages are under "page of the entries archive". These template names could use some cleanup. I would be happy to help suggest better names of you guys are interested. I've done a lot of Prod Mgmt work in the past, have a lot of UI experience.
Post edited by Boujohn - Friday, 2015-04-24, 12:38 PM
Good
Posts: 360
Reputation: 12

Message # 5 | 12:43 PM
@Boujohn,

Quote
Another option for fixing this would be to allow me to remove the category field from the entry form.


You can hide category by using CSS code.

Like this:

Code
<?if($GROUP_ID$=1)?><style>#ldM5, #ldM4, #ldM42, #ldM41 {display: none !important;}</style><?endif?>


It means if you are administrator of the site, the category will be shown for you. Other group, no category.

You check your category CSS code and update above code again.

============================================
Sunny
Posts: 9296
Reputation: 456

Message # 6 | 3:05 PM
Boujohn, Good is right, the field can be hidden with CSS. For suggestions, please use the following thread: http://forum.ucoz.com/forum/56-7902-1

As for template names, I'll send you a PM.

I'm not active on the forum anymore. Please contact other forum staff.
Boujohn
Posts: 36
Reputation: 0

Message # 7 | 3:20 PM
Sorry, I tried this and it doesn't work for me.

For whatever reason, the Category field prompt and value elements don't have IDs ... they only reference the class that all of the other field prompts and entry fields reference. So currently I don't think I can hide just those fields.

Do I need to refresh the default template then to get the IDs back? (I had used the shuttle control to move Category down to the bottom.

Thanks. John
Post edited by Boujohn - Friday, 2015-04-24, 8:57 PM
Good
Posts: 360
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Message # 8 | 10:55 AM
As I check, blog module has no specific CSS for category. I would like to suggest you should use other modules. ~~ sad
Boujohn
Posts: 36
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Message # 9 | 11:51 AM
Quote Good ()
As I check, blog module has no specific CSS for category. I would like to suggest you should use other modules. ~~ sad


Use other modules? What is that supposed to mean?
joexyz
JOE-vascript
Posts: 1770
Reputation: 78

Message # 10 | 10:00 PM
Boujohn, other modules are for example: Ad Board, Publisher, File Catalog, Site News etc. You can activate and use any of them if you go to your Control Panel and search between the inactive modules (click on Inactive tab on the list from the left side of the Control Panel).
hey i'm joe and i do not work for the company anymore, please contact other staff or tech support
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Boujohn
Posts: 36
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Message # 11 | 0:22 AM
Do any of the other modules have the same functionality as Blog?
Good
Posts: 360
Reputation: 12

Message # 12 | 1:26 AM
Quote Boujohn ()
Do any of the other modules have the same functionality as Blog?


Most of them are the same.

But others module are required user to select category in order to post an entry.
Other modules do not have entry archive section as blog.

I would like to suggest using stuff module (also call Games Online) because it has a lot of features. Allow us to edit most of their parts.

Have fun.

Added (2015-04-26, 1:26 AM)
---------------------------------------------
You can play with those modules and select the best one for you.

uCoz Community » uCoz Modules » Site News & Blogs » Can I make Blog category selection mandatory?
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