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New Extension: ER Developer Toolbar
Posted: 04 October 2009 01:11 PM   [ Ignore ]  
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This extension was born out of an embed template that I have used on nearly all of my projects. It started as just a div anchored to the top left corner of my browser window on the site front-end that gave me quick links to general site preferences, extension manager, plugin manager, etc. Then I read a tip on EE Insider by Jason Morehead about having the {elapsed_time} and {total_queries} posted in a similar fashion. After marrying the two together I turned the box into a toolbar-shape and anchored it to either the top or bottom of my window depending on the front-end design of the site I was working on at the time.

After sharing this embedded template with a few other devs I decided it just made sense to turn it into an extension.

Update: 2009/11/11

This extension is now in version 1.0 and has moved its download location to my website. You can find the docs, change log, download links and more by visiting my project page. You can also take a look at a blog entry with some information regarding where this add-on is going for ExpressionEngine 2.0.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

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Posted: 04 October 2009 01:59 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Very nice and extremely useful. Thanks! I did run into an issue where it covers content that I need to be able to click on at the top of the page, so maybe some way to have it retract when necessary would come in handy.

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Kyle Summer | smartpill design | New Haven, CT |  twitter

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Posted: 04 October 2009 02:02 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
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Thanks Kyle

Initially it used jQuery to auto hide and display. However, I switched it to make the CSS configurable to keep it simple for now. I ran into the same problem you describe with a couple of sites and in those cases I just change the position of the toolbar to the bottom of the window rather than the top. In the extension settings just change those CSS attributes in #er_developer_toolbar to something like this:

#er_developer_toolbar {
/* just showing the 2 attributes that matter for the example */
   
bottom0px;
   
border-top2px solid #336699;
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Posted: 04 October 2009 02:12 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Erik Reagan - 04 October 2009 06:02 PM

... in those cases I just change the position of the toolbar to the bottom of the window rather than the top.

Ah, Good call.smile

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Posted: 05 October 2009 12:24 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]  
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Erik,

Do you have any screenshots?

thanks,
Kenny

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Posted: 05 October 2009 12:40 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]  
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Kenny M. - 05 October 2009 04:24 AM

Erik,

Do you have any screenshots?

thanks,
Kenny

Sure Kenney. You can see 2 shots from 2 different sites here and here: each with slightly different settings and one is an MSM site.

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Posted: 05 October 2009 12:43 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]  
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Very nice Erik!

I’ll put the word out on the Insider tomorrow and cheers for making this.

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Posted: 05 October 2009 12:44 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]  
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Thanks Kenney

I’ll be sure to let you know when 1.0 is released. It will have some really fun goodies in it smile

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Posted: 05 October 2009 03:47 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]  
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sweet - gonna try it out now.
hoping it has a hide type of functionality in case you already have something at the bottom of the screen you need to access.

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Posted: 05 October 2009 04:45 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]  
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the quick link to clear the cache doesn’t appear to be working.
otherwise, very nice! smile

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Posted: 05 October 2009 06:12 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 10 ]  
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moogaloo - 05 October 2009 08:45 AM

the quick link to clear the cache doesn’t appear to be working.
otherwise, very nice! smile

That’s odd. The cache link is working properly for me on multiple EE installs. Where does the link take you?

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Posted: 05 October 2009 06:45 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 11 ]  
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Just the CP home.

I’ve tinkered a little with the css styles so it auto hides to the left until you rollover the tab to make it show - useful if you already have content in the top strip you want to be able to access and test.
Not really tested it massively (and I doubt it’ll work in IE6, but then who here uses IE6?!), but here it is if you want to - add the following 6 lines of CSS to the very bottom of the CSS panel:

#er_developer_toolbar {width: auto;}
#er_developer_toolbar p.toolbar_heading {padding-right: 0px;}
#er_developer_toolbar ul {text-indent: -9999px; display: none;}
#er_developer_toolbar:hover {width: 96%;}
#er_developer_toolbar:hover p.toolbar_heading {padding-right: 15px;}
#er_developer_toolbar:hover ul {text-indent: 0px; display: inline;} 

Also added the following to the very first element, #er_developer_toolbar to make it a little fluffier smile

-moz-border-radius-bottomleft5px;
   -
webkit-border-bottom-left-radius5px;
   -
moz-border-radius-bottomright5px;
   -
webkit-border-bottom-right-radius5px
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Posted: 05 October 2009 07:17 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 12 ]  
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moogaloo - 05 October 2009 10:45 AM

Just the CP home.

What version of EE?

moogaloo - 05 October 2009 10:45 AM

Also added the following to the very first element, #er_developer_toolbar to make it a little fluffier smile

-moz-border-radius-bottomleft5px;
   -
webkit-border-bottom-left-radius5px;
   -
moz-border-radius-bottomright5px;
   -
webkit-border-bottom-right-radius5px

You kids and your crazy rounded corners smile

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Posted: 05 October 2009 07:20 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 13 ]  
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haha!
gotta love the fluffy stuff… i would add drop shadows, but i’m not a safari user so cant be bothered!

i’m on 1.6.8

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Posted: 05 October 2009 07:23 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 14 ]  
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Can you compare the link in the toolbar to the page URL in the CP and see if they’re identical (with the exception of the Session get variable that is)?

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Posted: 05 October 2009 07:26 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 15 ]  
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when i look at the URL its showing as i rollover, its trying to take me to/system/?C=admin&M=utilities&P=clear_cache_form but clicking it takes me to system/index.php

(stuff about session get variables, is a little over my head being a fluffy designer!!)

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Posted: 05 October 2009 08:37 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 16 ]  
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great idea will give that a go right now.
Thanks for sharing!

ps. have difficulties to get the links working. e.g when clicking templates link, no cp tab opens in browser window. I use ff 3 and EE 1.6.8. on local install.

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Posted: 05 October 2009 08:58 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 17 ]  
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Interfacer - 05 October 2009 12:37 PM

ps. have difficulties to get the links working. e.g when clicking templates link, no cp tab opens in browser window. I use ff 3 and EE 1.6.8. on local install.

Do any of the links work?

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Posted: 05 October 2009 09:02 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 18 ]  
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yes caching and queries work.

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