It's a great idea. Unfortunately I can't think of a way to make it viably work, because if it was a drop down list, and the quest chain name hadn't been entered yet, there'd be no way to enter it initially (no text field). I thought if I made it an auto-complete text field (field guesses what you're trying to say based on what has been entered before), it might work, except that option only exists as an alternate way to display a selection (drop down) list. Wow it could drive one crazy thinking about this stuff. :) I spent some time trying to guess how to make it work but came up blank. Still might be able to get it to work as an auto-complete field, but nothing's coming to me yet. :)
At the least anyway, I reset the conditional fields feature on the "add item" page (certain fields are triggered based on what is previously selected, e.g., "damage type" field is triggered only when "dagger" "spear" "one-handed sword" etc. is selected). I disabled it when I was trouble-shooting the broken item page, and forgot to reset it. Doh me. Should be easier to maneuver through it now.
1. A drop-down list with all existing quest chains, a text field to enter new quest chain names, and a check box that says "New Quest Chain" to indicate that the text field contents get added to the drop-down list? Then the submission logic handles the IF/THEN of the checkbox and the appropriate field population from the text field into the Quest Chain Name.
OR
2. A drop-down list with all existing quest chains and a text field to enter new quest chain names. Logic on submission then decides that if the text field is non-blank, then the contents of that field get added to the drop-down list (and count as the current Quest Chain selection upon submission). This would supersede any selection made in the drop-down.
Finally, MUCH appreciated on the triggered fields as well! I don't have to worry about how much minimum damage my earring does. ;)
Ya sounds like the ticket. Unfortunately I'm not a programmer, and am limited by the software I'm using and its presets. PHP content for dummies. :)
I can ask our resident programmer Murgol to see if he has any ideas, but I don't know if he does web programming.
I can do the drop down list of all existing quest chains however, for starters and see how to work around adding the new quest chains. I may be able to find a code snippet to do it with, if someone using this cms has needed the same kind of thing at some point in the past. Seems like it makes sense. Let me think on it.
Okay here's how I fixed it for now: I made the quest-chain name textfield into an auto-complete textfield, so based on what anyone (including the current author) has typed into that field before, the field will offer a drop-down selection list with all similar entries, so the quest submitter can stay consistent with himself and other quest submitters. Yay.
I also decided to add this feature to a couple of other text fields, like the npc quest giver, and even the npc location--might be useful for avoiding extra typing.
Next I added a couple of new fields to the quest submission page: a radio selection to attribute the quest as an Epic/Book Quest (or not), and a conditional field for selecting the volume (Shadows of Angmar/ Mines of Moria) if it is an Epic Quest.
So if anyone has added quests from the epic line to the database, you might want to edit them to include this attribute. I also added a search selector on the Items listing page that includes those parameters for narrowing a quest search.
Let me know if this works for you, or if you encounter any problems or have any other suggestions.
I tried modifying my submitted quests, but I couldn't see any new radio button to select my quests as Epic/Book (not there on the submit-new-quest either). Well done on the autocomplete fields - good call, that's an excellent idea!
Thank you very much, it looks great, and works even better with the correct permissions. I thought I was reduced to Contributing Noob when I didn't have access to the "new and improved" featurettes. ;)
Thanks for all your hard work! Should I even ask if we can add another conditional field (based on epic/not epic) to specify the Book of the Volume? Maybe I'll just count my luccky stars (seven of them!) that I've asked and received already! For now, I'm just adding it into the quest description field.
Ok, Here's a couple more oddities for you to do (since obviously you're bored and have NOTHING else to do... you can level in LOTRO later! ;) )
1. The quest chain name doesn't display any changes. For example, one quest shows in the preview as "Quest Chain Name: Volume I: Book 2: The Red Maid", but the text field only displays "The Red Maid". Any ideas on that one?
2. The preview/submission doesn't display the Epic quest status (Volume, etc).
What do you think?
Lin,
Lore-master of Details (and other irritating traits).
(Favorite in-game spoiler for other RP members: "Hey, that half-orc should technically be worth 24.267 xp, not 24. Where's my .267? Anyone else ticked off about that?")
I added the Book Option, yay. Now your stars number 8 :P
Now the Book field will pop if you select either volume I or II, but if you select "no" for the epic quest option after that, the volume field will poof but the book field will remain. That's just because vol I or II is still selected, even though you don't see the volume field anymore. To make it go away just select "yes" from the epic quest option again and then "none" for the volume, and all will be as it was.
In other words, if you select a volume after indicating that the quest is from the epic line, don't change the quest attribute back to "not epic" or it might bring up problems.
For the other thing you said, the revisions/ updates aren't showing outside of the preview because all revisions go to a moderation queue for approval by admins. However, once you reach the next level of membership (500 points I believe), you'll have acquired acquaintance reputation with LOTROinfo ;), and have access to all revisions, and can revert or publish as you wish without having to go through the big people. :)
Thanks NM, those changes rock (oops, RP went off there for a moment) I MEAN.. Yon changes doth become thine online scribery such as the new moon riseth above a crystaline lake... yeah, that's it.
As for the "next level"... I think I'm happy being a grunt publisher. I can't handle the pressure!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! ;)
I really appreciate your hard work on moving things along, since I quite enjoy contributing wherever (and whenever) I can.
Verily verily a star shineth upon the hour of thy welcome.
Heh, well you are never forced to manage your revisions and publishes, and one of the admins/mods can do it for you if you crack under pressure. But the option will be there if you want it.
Oh ya and make sure you (meaning anyone who has submitted quests recently) edit your quests to include the correct Book info now. I shalt be beholden to thee.
It's a great idea. Unfortunately I can't think of a way to make it viably work, because if it was a drop down list, and the quest chain name hadn't been entered yet, there'd be no way to enter it initially (no text field). I thought if I made it an auto-complete text field (field guesses what you're trying to say based on what has been entered before), it might work, except that option only exists as an alternate way to display a selection (drop down) list. Wow it could drive one crazy thinking about this stuff. :) I spent some time trying to guess how to make it work but came up blank. Still might be able to get it to work as an auto-complete field, but nothing's coming to me yet. :)
At the least anyway, I reset the conditional fields feature on the "add item" page (certain fields are triggered based on what is previously selected, e.g., "damage type" field is triggered only when "dagger" "spear" "one-handed sword" etc. is selected). I disabled it when I was trouble-shooting the broken item page, and forgot to reset it. Doh me. Should be easier to maneuver through it now.
Ok, how about one of these two ideas:
1. A drop-down list with all existing quest chains, a text field to enter new quest chain names, and a check box that says "New Quest Chain" to indicate that the text field contents get added to the drop-down list? Then the submission logic handles the IF/THEN of the checkbox and the appropriate field population from the text field into the Quest Chain Name.
OR
2. A drop-down list with all existing quest chains and a text field to enter new quest chain names. Logic on submission then decides that if the text field is non-blank, then the contents of that field get added to the drop-down list (and count as the current Quest Chain selection upon submission). This would supersede any selection made in the drop-down.
Finally, MUCH appreciated on the triggered fields as well! I don't have to worry about how much minimum damage my earring does. ;)
Lin.
Ya sounds like the ticket. Unfortunately I'm not a programmer, and am limited by the software I'm using and its presets. PHP content for dummies. :)
I can ask our resident programmer Murgol to see if he has any ideas, but I don't know if he does web programming.
I can do the drop down list of all existing quest chains however, for starters and see how to work around adding the new quest chains. I may be able to find a code snippet to do it with, if someone using this cms has needed the same kind of thing at some point in the past. Seems like it makes sense. Let me think on it.
Okay here's how I fixed it for now: I made the quest-chain name textfield into an auto-complete textfield, so based on what anyone (including the current author) has typed into that field before, the field will offer a drop-down selection list with all similar entries, so the quest submitter can stay consistent with himself and other quest submitters. Yay.
I also decided to add this feature to a couple of other text fields, like the npc quest giver, and even the npc location--might be useful for avoiding extra typing.
Next I added a couple of new fields to the quest submission page: a radio selection to attribute the quest as an Epic/Book Quest (or not), and a conditional field for selecting the volume (Shadows of Angmar/ Mines of Moria) if it is an Epic Quest.
So if anyone has added quests from the epic line to the database, you might want to edit them to include this attribute. I also added a search selector on the Items listing page that includes those parameters for narrowing a quest search.
Let me know if this works for you, or if you encounter any problems or have any other suggestions.
I tried modifying my submitted quests, but I couldn't see any new radio button to select my quests as Epic/Book (not there on the submit-new-quest either). Well done on the autocomplete fields - good call, that's an excellent idea!
Lin
Fixed the Epic and Volume options.
note to self: permissions settings aren't there for just for looks.
;)
Thank you very much, it looks great, and works even better with the correct permissions. I thought I was reduced to Contributing Noob when I didn't have access to the "new and improved" featurettes. ;)
Thanks for all your hard work! Should I even ask if we can add another conditional field (based on epic/not epic) to specify the Book of the Volume? Maybe I'll just count my luccky stars (seven of them!) that I've asked and received already! For now, I'm just adding it into the quest description field.
Lin.
Ok, Here's a couple more oddities for you to do (since obviously you're bored and have NOTHING else to do... you can level in LOTRO later! ;) )
1. The quest chain name doesn't display any changes. For example, one quest shows in the preview as "Quest Chain Name: Volume I: Book 2: The Red Maid", but the text field only displays "The Red Maid". Any ideas on that one?
2. The preview/submission doesn't display the Epic quest status (Volume, etc).
What do you think?
Lin,
Lore-master of Details (and other irritating traits).
(Favorite in-game spoiler for other RP members: "Hey, that half-orc should technically be worth 24.267 xp, not 24. Where's my .267? Anyone else ticked off about that?")
I added the Book Option, yay. Now your stars number 8 :P
Now the Book field will pop if you select either volume I or II, but if you select "no" for the epic quest option after that, the volume field will poof but the book field will remain. That's just because vol I or II is still selected, even though you don't see the volume field anymore. To make it go away just select "yes" from the epic quest option again and then "none" for the volume, and all will be as it was.
In other words, if you select a volume after indicating that the quest is from the epic line, don't change the quest attribute back to "not epic" or it might bring up problems.
For the other thing you said, the revisions/ updates aren't showing outside of the preview because all revisions go to a moderation queue for approval by admins. However, once you reach the next level of membership (500 points I believe), you'll have acquired acquaintance reputation with LOTROinfo ;), and have access to all revisions, and can revert or publish as you wish without having to go through the big people. :)
Thanks NM, those changes rock (oops, RP went off there for a moment) I MEAN.. Yon changes doth become thine online scribery such as the new moon riseth above a crystaline lake... yeah, that's it.
As for the "next level"... I think I'm happy being a grunt publisher. I can't handle the pressure!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! ;)
I really appreciate your hard work on moving things along, since I quite enjoy contributing wherever (and whenever) I can.
Lin.
Verily verily a star shineth upon the hour of thy welcome.
Heh, well you are never forced to manage your revisions and publishes, and one of the admins/mods can do it for you if you crack under pressure. But the option will be there if you want it.
Oh ya and make sure you (meaning anyone who has submitted quests recently) edit your quests to include the correct Book info now. I shalt be beholden to thee.