The template is not open source and I cannot get a hold of it. That is why I want to create something similar myself which can be made available to the OSS community.
Since I have figured out the pattern (which can be varied), I think the tricky part left is figuring out how to populate it with CPG thumbnail data. What do you think of placing thumbnail variables in a template representing different layout locations?
Your idea of using data sets helps decouple image data from layout structure which can offer more flexible use. The new layout management plan sounds promising. If you could build it flexibility enough to accept 1..n number of images to be placed in a template, I think it could achieve complex layouts like this.
I could do some pilot work with it on my website. I write software in my day job so I am not afraid to code. The main stuff I work with is Java, C, C++, Oracle. But I am noticing a lot of similarities with PHP and c/c++ such as sprintf, etc... It is not bad for a scripting language.
Thanks for your ideas and help,
- Derek
Yeah, I do Perl, VB, (did some C++), Java - and PHP is 100 times easier to do web stuff. Luckly you have a programming background so you understand seperating the model and view - which makes PHP tolerable. I see so many programs that mix it all up and they just are unmanageable.
Anyway...
The new layout template will be a parent class for any new output classes. So my existing HTML output would be moved to be based on it, a text only would be based on it, etc... It should be flexible enough to do most anything.
The trouble is abstracting out the basic common criteria - and if you have any thoughts I would love to hear them.
Basically my current thoughts - which is not very far along, is that I need to pass the data set, and various requirements into the base class. PHP4 has pretty abysmal object support so its always a lot of fun doing this sort of thing. I'd also like to be able to get the generated code back in chunks that can be applied around the PHP view page.
For example, I am working with highslide. So I need to output a bunch of javascript that would be at the top of the file, then the actual layout that would be at the bottom. Right now you have to code up a bunch of PHP to get this to work - most people get confused.
I have no real idea on CSS Layout code, so that may have different requirements.
My vapor-design right now involves defining base function like:
startHeader
startLayoutArea
startRow
startEntry
makeEntry
endEntry
endRow
endLayoutArea
endHeader
So whatever layout class you define, it has to support these.
Again, this is all vapor in my head, so it may be crazy - but you get where I am heading.
Any thoughts or what not are welcome!
1.9.5 is up, 1.9.6 may have the start of the layout class... I make no promises on that.
As for the layout you are talking of... Doesn't CPG scale down thumbnails to the same general size? In that case, you may need to draw from two galleries. OR, you could mark some with a custom field, then for those drag down the medium sized image and resize it via the browser (which sucks, but has gotten better than it used to be).
If the layout is a set pattern, then its much easier - I was thinking you were looking to have it grab images, and on the fly decide how to fit them all together nicely