CCK Handbook

Posted by karens on December 6, 2006 at 5:39pm

Webchick has been helping me launch a new top-level CCK handbook at http://drupal.org/node/101723. So far all that has been done is to re-organize existing pages, but I'm going to try to gradually get more information added (and update or weed out outdated or inaccurate info). Anyway, if anyone has anything to contribute, suggestions, ideas, etc. etc. please jump in and add pages or comments or whatever to the handbook. Even if you don't know enough to create a page, if you think of a topic that needs to be addressed just create a stub page that someone else can build on.

For starters, I set up 'CCK for Administrators', 'CCK for Developers', 'Installing and Updating CCK', 'Related Modules', and 'FAQs'. The last one is an old page that was already there and may not really make any sense any more since the whole thing is sort of a FAQ, but I left it for now.

Thanks!

Comments

Two diagrams: overall model and feature list

Posted by mki on December 12, 2006 at 3:56pm

I'd like to add to documentation two tree-like diagrams: CCK overall model (what are componets of CCK) and CCK feature list (what CCK can do with these componets). But I need support from CCK developers or experienced users. Original idea in detail you can find here: http://groups.drupal.org/node/1515#comment-5396

For the overall model, are

Posted by karens on January 4, 2007 at 11:10am

For the overall model, are you thinking of something like what webchick illustrated at http://drupal.org/node/82661?

I'd say if you have an idea for documentation but you're not sure you know CCK well enough to actually create a handbook page without a review, post a draft here and we'll help make sure it's accurate before it gets added to the handbook.

Thanks for leave options

Posted by mki on January 4, 2007 at 3:04pm

Thanks for leave options open, I'll do it on your advice, but please be patient becouse I have many busy days now. Yes, webchick's work is very usefull and I will pattern my work on it.

Newbie question comment

Posted by uNeedStuff on February 19, 2007 at 4:01am

I joined this group to try and understand how and what CCK does. As someone who is completely self taught many terms used here (drupal.org) mean nothing to me. After reading through this thread I think I might understand what a widget is, and suggest you explain it a bit different, in the "beginner" portion of documentation, if I'm right (lol), because I've had a hard time understanding what people were talking about when they said widget. Looking at the diagram did help, but I felt it was still a bit confusing. Maybe add a layer for where the person is. Like under the widget area have a layer that says Add content type, under the fields Database or MySQL, and have a Create Content with maybe "blank fields", and then Displayed Content themed fields.

This is what I think a widget is in a very simplified explanation:
The final user form (create content) for inputting data (site content) is created using widgets. The admin creates a content type or node (user form), by adding fields via CCK. The admin chooses what widget (field container) to use to collect that data (content). e.g. you want the user to put a number in the field so you select the integer/text widget. Each data type, and the way it can be entered is a widget.

If I'm still not understanding.... never mine ;-)

Shari

Shari
I may be different,
may I never be indifferent.

Thank you for you comment,

Posted by mki on February 22, 2007 at 11:16pm

Thank you for you comment, I'll try to improve this diagram. And don't bother about you difficulties, CCK Handbook should better explain essential concepts, that's why we are here.

you want the user to put a number in the field so you select the integer/text widget. Each data type, and the way it can be entered is a widget.

You're not entirely right, becouse data types is something else than widgets.

A data type describes representation, interpretation and structure of values manipulated by algorithms or objects stored in computer memory or other storage device (From Wikipedia, see for more details). In CCK we have among others: integer, decimal, text, link, e-mail.

[...] widget (or control) is an interface element that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box. [...] Programmers use widgets to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs). (From Wikipedia see for more details). In CCK we have among others: textfield, select, check boxes, radio buttons.

Each data type (that is, field type) have appropriate widgets. The form (widget) is in keeping with its contents (field type). And field type usually have a few widgets, becouse the same data can be entered in different ways.

For example (field type => widget):
text => text field, text area, select.
color => text field, color piker.
date => text field, calendar.

CCK For Beginners

Posted by mrtunes on March 14, 2007 at 7:15am

i agree that there needs to be a document on "CCK for beginners"
docmartin wrote a comment about this in the CCK handbook. is anyone working on one?

This still seems to be a problem

Posted by mgifford on October 22, 2008 at 3:49pm

Someone asked us this question on our blog and I poked about for a good definition. Wasn't able to find one so I responded with the following definition of CCK Fields & Widgets.

I tried to write it in plain language as programmers will understand the concept, but users or themers may not. Hopefully this can be improved and incorporated somewhere in the handbook.

Mike

OpenConcept | Volunteer Canada | prax.ca

--
OpenConcept | Twitter @mgifford | Drupal Security Guide

CCK overview diagram

Posted by mki on January 22, 2007 at 12:05am

Very simple thing, but may be useful for newbie. Please review: http://www.mki.yoyo.pl/cck-overview.png
Please feel free to adjust or modify this idea. Source file (OpenOffice.org Draw): http://www.mki.yoyo.pl/cck-overview.odg

P.S. I was thinking about using "map" and "area" tags to create hyperlink on text: "Displaying data", "Storing data" and "Entering and editing data", that will lead user to proper places of CCK Handbook.

Thanks

Posted by dasil003 on December 18, 2006 at 6:58pm

Thanks for working on the CCK docs. I'm a professional PHP developer, but only recently getting into Drupal. I have had to get my feet wet with some pretty heavy duty projects with customization, and CCK seems to be a critical piece for streamlining custom module development.

Hopefully I'll have some time to help with the docs as well. One question I have is how to propose changes to existing pages?

This is a good question. The

Posted by karens on January 4, 2007 at 11:11am

This is a good question. The best option now I guess is to make comments on the pages, or post something here in groups.

Interested In Helping Out

Posted by shane birley on January 4, 2007 at 7:28am

If you require some more typing fingers with experienced Drupal types like myself, let me know! :)

Dive in! If nothing else,

Posted by karens on January 4, 2007 at 11:17am

Dive in! If nothing else, it's helpful to go ahead and add some placeholder pages to start to indicate other info that is needed and where it should maybe go and others can come in and start to flesh them out, but if you can do more than that, that's great too.

As I suggested in other reponses below, if you have ideas for pages but are not sure enough that you are describing them accurately to post them in the handbook, you could post something here that we could polish up before adding it to the handbook.

Is it possible to theme CCK

Posted by coupet on January 14, 2007 at 5:08am

Is it possible to theme CCK fields in Search results pages?

Thanks, Darly