[TYPO3-hci] The Constant Triptichon

[Christopher]

Alex Heizer wrote:
> Christopher wrote:
>> Alex Heizer wrote:

<big snip>

>> 1. A TSconfig option for switching to/from the standard 'column' 
>> layout, and/or,
>>
>> 2. A checkbox (or other form control) that switches between standard 
>> and FE-like views (provided a FE-like view is available) in the Page 
>> module.
>>   
> You can already do these things in the BE (even if it's not very well 
> documented). Don't forget about Web->View for viewing the FE in the BE. 
> The good thing about T3 is that it can do so much. My point is, since an 
> individual can already customize their own installs the way you suggest, 
> what would the benefit be to forcing this behavior on everyone in place 
> of a BE that already has worked for years which allows thousands of 
> existing editors to use existing documentation for? Since, in my 
> experience the current BE is the preferred interface just the way it is, 
> forcing a different BE on these users would be a step backwards as far 
> as usability (they would choose the FE if they wanted it).

Well I have not been trying to suggest that the BE should really be LIKE 
the FE as such, only that there is definite value in a visual 
resemblance between the 'columns' area and the FE. Unless I'm much 
mistaken, this is /not/ possible at the moment--you can only re-label 
existing columns and add new ones.

Further, who said anything about 'forcing' anything? As for any other 
customizable part of a UI, we need reasonable defaults. I see nothing 
wrong with continuing with the existing mode in this respect.

Regarding documentation, I rather suspect that you're underestimating 
your users. As I mentioned, a secret code is no secret if you provide 
the key to the reader--in other words, a BE-ordered layout in the Page 
module is unlikely to be confusing to /anyone/ if users have been told 
that the order of items reflects what they see in the FE of the site.

In any case, I'm not trying to insist by any means that my suggestion is 
the only way or even the very best way; but I do insist that it could be 
superior to the regular column view in certain respects.

Whether it were better overall or not would depend a /lot/ on how it was 
implemented. For a content-heavy page (i.e. many content elements in 
several regions) a columnar layout is /definitely/ better than any way 
of refactoring the page module that is still reasonably similar to 
TYPO3's existing paradigm that I've been able to think up.


-Christopher