[TYPO3-50-general] Integrating the FormBuilder into Phoenix

[Jacob Floyd]

On Monday, June 4, 2012 7:09:26 AM UTC-6, Florian Scholz wrote:
>
> I've found out that the FormBuilder FLOW3 package is not yet integrated 
> into Phoenix as a Backend Module. 
> What are the plans to do so? 
>
> Are there any docs or could someone point out how to get into developing 
> backend modules for Phoenix? 
> I'm pretty new to Phoenix and not yet so familiar with the code base. 

 
The Phoenix docs that are available are in the repository under the 
"Documentation" folder.
http://git.typo3.org/FLOW3/Packages/TYPO3.TYPO3.git?a=tree;f=Documentation 

This talks about Beckend Module UI:
http://git.typo3.org/FLOW3/Packages/TYPO3.TYPO3.git?a=blob;f=Documentation/Development/UserInterface/BackendModules.rst
 

If you're dealing with something that touches the Content Module, then this 
is the guide you want:
http://git.typo3.org/FLOW3/Packages/TYPO3.TYPO3.git?a=blob;f=Documentation/Development/UserInterface/ContentModule.rst
 

That's about it as far as documentation goes.

Personally, I envision a Design tab in the backend:

Social | Content | Management | Design | Reporting | Administration

In the Design tab, I'd love to see a kind of Fluid IDE - a mix between 
TYPO3.FormBuilder and the TemplaVoila Wizard where you can take a template 
file, pick out the elements in the design that should be a partial, a 
template, or a general layout, and drag and drop Various Fluid widgets 
(like say a menu, or a login form) to help build out the site in a very 
designer (read: non-developer) friendly experience.

I think that such a general purpose Fluid Template Builder could (even 
should) be based on (or use, or include) the Form Builder. My PoV: A Form 
is just a special category of fluid template that uses the Form Engine as a 
super-duper View Helper. So, I think the Form Builder is a part of the 
Design tab.
Or another way to think about it:
A Form is a kind of widget (an element) that can be inserted into a page. 
You can Design sites (layout), or Design specific branches of a site 
(templates), or specific elements on that site (Forms). That concept could 
be extended so that you can "Design" your own elements. Forms are a unique 
element in that they are also frequently used in the backend as parts of 
Modules or in the property panel, etc. Even so, a Form is still an element 
that is inserted into the Backend Layout at some point. A Form is something 
that is 'designed'.

So, I'm not sure I like the idea of the Form Builder becoming its own 
Module in the Phoenix Backend. [*]

What does everyone else think? Where do Templates, Forms, and other 
visual/layout/element things go?

Cheers,
Jacob Floyd

[*] Assuming a module = a tab in the topbar of the backend. Am I using the 
right terminology? 
http://git.typo3.org/FLOW3/Packages/TYPO3.TYPO3.git?a=blob;f=Documentation/Development/UserInterface/contentmodule/ui_parts.png
An extension, might add buttons to a toolbar, the launcher, or the 
properties panel, or it might add the FormBuilder stuff to the Design 
Module.
Some (special) extensions might add a module for a custom client app, but 
in general, I would lean towards having fewer modules and integrating 
features into other parts of Phoenix.