Thread

Yes - it’s another topic from the noob :gulp:
So -
In my site there are list of projects. For each project there is also an image-gallery of various length. Every entry for the gallery contain an image, a thumbnail and a text string. So it’s like I need a channel inside my channel.
Is it possible to get that kind of structure? How shell I approach this?
Thanks in advance guys, and forgive me for the Q shower

If I’m understanding correctly then your best bet here would definitely be to use Matrix.

This would allow you to have a Channel entry which would have the normal fields for your project information and then you would have a matrix field which can hold numerous rows holding the image and the text string. The thumbnail can be created inside the template using something like CE Image which is quite possibly the last image sizing plugin anyone could ever want.

Hope that helps a bit.

Best wishes,

Mark

Hi, Mark - thanks!
This is surely not the type of solution I’m looking for, though. I want to learn the system and evaluate it. This will not give me better understanding of the system. Frankly, if every project will have me hunt (and pay) for add-ons, this is not the system I want.

Well you can use relationship fields and have a channel which stores an image per entry and then relate them to the main entry but there’s no way out of the box to have multiple relationship fields that you can add another one whilst in the publish tab.

There are other ways of doing this but none of them would be as easy or pretty as using something like Matrix.

Don’t give up on ExpressionEngine just yet as I’m hopeful someone else will come in here and offer up a solution.

Best wishes,

Mark

There are a handful of add-ons that we use for nearly every project, and Matrix and CE Images both fall under that category, as they provide the functionality that you’re looking for, and they do it very well.  Pixel & Tonic’s other add-ons, including Wygwam and Playa, are so helpful that we install them on nearly every project we do as well.

Of course, there are various other things you might want for a particular EE project, and, fortunately there’s a nice resource for finding those called Devot://ee.

The learning curve for EE is steep, but well worth it, IMHO; I really, really dig the way their model works.  And, if you ever have questions, the forums here, as well as the #eecms tag on Twitter are both decent ways of getting ideas and answers.

Our profile on Devot:ee lists our the add-ons that we use on a regular basis; you can’t really get a good idea of what ExpressionEngine is capable of without being familiar with (and paying for) most of those add-ons.  It means that most every project you do will involve $400 - $600 worth of software, but you’re paying for solid, responsive support, and software that generally works the way you expect it to.

I just wanted to say stick with it. I’m also an EE noob. I started using about 8 months ago and it really does get much easier to understand. The community is fantastic and I’m sure you will find they are very helpful.

Good Luck 😊

Thanks you all, guys.
I think I’ll see what can I do with relationship - after all I’ve always been told I should work on those 😉

Hi, all.
Nick - I now realize that indeed, you must purchase extra add-ons for each project. For me, this is a weakness of the system, sign of it’s incomplete state. I’d be happy to pay an extra 100$ but I must have the basic functionality build in.
I really need what EE can be. There is a lot of potential in EE, but it lacks in some major points:

1. Basic functionality to build a web site.
For instance, having an easy way for user to control the order of entries. By user I mean regular admin, that is my customer who supposed to use the site I build for him. That kind of function is the basis to virtually every site, IMHO.
So, as far as I concern, it’s OK to have basic version and a premium one (which you already have). But having me buying extras to do a straight-forward tasks? I might as well begin to moo…  😖
3rd parties are even worse - you have to deal with a few vendors, support system, etc. If it’s a specialty features, like CE Image, that’s fine. But you said it yourself - you can’t have any project without add-ons.

2. Decent documentation.
I went over most of it, not just the “Introducing ExpressionEngine 2”. My impression? not nearly enough. Sure, you need to know where to click (and too often it’s an inaccurate info there, BTW). But the main thing is help you to understand the principles, and how they all fit in. What is mandatory and what is optional. What are your possibilities when it come to common tasks, such as different kind of navigation - complete with tutorials.

3. Confidential support.
There is quite a bit of info I need to discuss with tech-support, that I don’t want to share with the world: the folder-structure of my server, the location of certain files, what site are hosted by me and so on.
Here, I can only have support readily available to everyone who care to look.

4. Serious UI makeover.
The purpose of a good design is way deeper when making it look pleasing. The GUI here will not win any prizes, but the looks are really pleasing enough.
This is a working platform, and it could be so much better.