DailyQuote Plugin - Usage Document

DailyQuote Plugin Version 1.0.5
by Alford Deeley aka machinari

Last Modified: Dec 26, 2004
E-mail: ajdeeley@summitpages.ca
Web site: http://summitpages.ca

    DailyQuote Plugin 1.0.5
  1. Features
  2. Random/Cached Quote
  3. phpblock_randomquote/Center Block
  4. What's New/GL Stats/Search
  5. The Menu Block
  6. Add/Delete a Quote
  7. Search the Repository
  8. Clickable Links
  9. Navigating the Categories
  10. Batch Add Quotations
  11. Moderate Submissions
  12. Manage Quotes
  13. Manage Categories
  14. Permissions
  15. Rights
  16. Configuration
  17. Backup/Restore Utility
  18. Upgrade
  19. Note: Profile Display Integration
  20. To Do's
  1. Features
  2. Random/Cached Quote
    A random or cached quotation is displayed in a box at the top of the main plugin's pages. This displays the most basic function of this plugin, i.e., to display data retrieved from a database.
  3. phpblock_randomquote/Centerblock
    As well as displaying the quotation at the top of various plugin pages, a random or cached quote may be displayed in a center block just as staticpages or the ever popular forum plugin may be. A random or cached quote may also be displayed in an already defined PHP block as configured in your <public_html>/admin/block.php. It has only to be enabled from that page to make it to your display and of course permissions matter.
  4. What's New/GL Stats/Search
    The "what's new" listing can be turned on or off from the admin page. It lists, by default, those quotations approved within the previous 14 days. The by-line provides the content of the list and clicking on any of the names will bring you to the search page, which will display the matching quotation.
    The list provided on the GL stats page displays the top ten most quoted personalities contained in the repository and clicking on any of the names will bring you to the search page once again, but now all quotations by that personality will be displayed.
    The GL search results function similarly, but within a broader spectrum. The results from a GL search list the quotation, the by-line, and the contributor. By clicking on any of these you are redirected to the plugin's search page where either the quotation, or all quotations by a particular personality, or all quotations submitted by a particular contributor are displayed.
  5. The Menu Block
    If you run GeekLog 1.3.10, you'll notice a menu block dynamically created in your left blocks column whenever you are on a dailyquote plugin page. This menu replaces the usual link row that will appear at the top of the plugin pages in all earlier versions of GeekLog for which this plugin is compatable.
  6. Add/Delete a Quote
    To add a quotation you have only to follow the link provided in the "user functions" block, and once at the add page, paste or type your quotation into the space provided. You may create a new category at the same time by filling in the appropriate space or you may simply use the checkboxes to select relevant categories. All quotes are considered miscellany unless otherwise indicated. Click on "submit quote" and you are done.
    You may, if you wish, restrict the add page to logged in members only from the admin page.
    Note: do not enclose your quotations in double quotes whether you are adding one or many. The logic will supply your outermost quotation marks.
  7. Search the Repository
    From any of the DailyQuote pages you may click on the search link, which will then take you to the search page. Once there you can search the repository by supplying at least one keyword. You may select from the various drop downs the type of search you wish, e.g., you may search by contributor, quotation, by-line, or date. You may also limit your search to a particular category or contributor. Results return all information relevant to a particular quotation.
  8. Clickable Links
    Quotations can be displayed along with related information such as source, date, contributor, etc. A few of these fields are clickable, i.e., you can click on them and be lead to another page.
  9. Navigating the Categories
    From any of the DailyQuote pages you may click on the categories link, which will then take you to the categories page. Once there you can select and click on any category title from the list of active and enabled categories, which will in turn display the results on the search page. The results will consist of all quotes assigned to that particular category.
  10. Batch Add Quotations
    If you are the plugin's admin or have been granted permission by the admin, then you have the ability to add multiple quotes at once. To accomplish this you have only to submit a tab-delimited text file containing 5 columns: the quotation (tab); the by-line (tab); the category; the source (tab); and the source date. The by-line and/or the category, the source, and the source date may all be left blank (do not forget the tabs however!), but there must be a quotation of some kind before the first tab or you will receive an error at the very least. You may create a new category independent of the submitted file by filling in the appropriate space in the form. That newly created category will be applied to any blank category fields in the file.
    Note: do not enclose your quotations in double quotes whether you are adding one or many. The logic will supply your outermost double quotation marks.
  11. Moderate Submissions
    As admin you have the ability to turn ON or OFF the submission queue. This means that you may moderate user submissions if you so desire or feel it necessary to do so. The queue is turned on by default, but you can switch it off from the admin page. When moderation is turned on, all submissions must pass through the queue for approval, deletion, or editing. If there are submissions in the queue, the admin is notified on the "manage quotes" page as well as the admin page. When moderation is turned off, all submissions left in the queue will summarily be approved and no more submissions will be passed through moderation (until the queue is turned on again), but will instead be added directly to the repository ready for display.
  12. Manage Quotes
    Admins will find a "manage quotes" link in their "user functions" block. This page allows you to edit any quotation, by-line, or category that resides in the database except for those that are still in the submission queue if any. You may also change who contributed the quotation if you wish. A use for that is when a user has forgotten to log in and requests that you put his name on the otherwise anonymously contributed quotation.
    Quotes displayed on this page are displayed according to your search results. A search form is provided and the results are displayed, each quotation within its own form, ready to be edited or deleted entirely.
  13. Manage Categories
    The category management page allows you to edit, delete, create, and enable/disable categories independent of any other page. When a category is disabled (e.g., seasonal quotes), all quotes belonging to that category are not displayed on any page unless they belong also to an enabled category.
  14. Permissions
    Permissions are fully configurable and self-explanatory. You may configure permissions from the admin page.
    Note: If you have given anonymous users permission to add a quote, but have not given them permission to view the quotes, they will not be able to add a quote either.
  15. Rights
    Rights refer to degrees of access one has within the DailyQuote pages. You may have rights by default, as admin does; or you may only have permission. Permissions are configurable in most cases, but in order to gain rights, you must be added to a group, which has been given those rights. Available rights include: view; add; and edit rights. Admin has edit rights. By default, view rights are granted to the logged in members group.
    What's the point?
  16. Configuration
    As I said, this plugin's functionality is very configurable. It does more than simply display a random quote somewhere on a web page. In the "admins only" box you will find the DailyQuote admin link, which will take you to the configuration page. From this page you may modify the default settings according to what options are provided. You may also reset any modified settings to their default by clicking on the "apply default settings" button at the bottom of the screen. In addition, from this page you may check the integrity of your DailyQuote database and repair it if necessary.
  17. Backup/Restore Utility
    New to version 1.0.5 is the ability to backup and restore your DailyQuote table data. This function is available from the admin page.
  18. Upgrade
    Always check the change.log and the install.html files in your docs/ directory. These documents will note changes and install/upgrade instructions. If there are no database changes in the upgraded version of the plugin, then you may just overwrite your files adding/editing any changes you had made previously. If the database was modified in anyway, you will find instructions in the install.html file and an upgrade script included in the updates/ directory.
  19. Note: Profile Display Integration
    Version 1.0.5 includes the ability to integrate into a user's GL profile display in order to list a user's last 10 dailyquote submissions as well as a user's total submission count. Because GeekLog seems not to fully support a plugin's ability to accomplish this, I have had to make a couple of minor modifications to the core. These mods have been sent to the developers in hope that they will intergrate them or some form of them into the GL core.
    For now, if you would like to extend the user's profile display to include dailyquote stats for that user, then follow these simple instructions:
  20. To Do's

Thanks Everybody