appRain inline help GUI is ready
Thu, Jun 28th 2012, 01:09am
Comments: 0
Upcoming version of appRain is going to integrate inline help. There will be a help link in all major sections and settings to retrieve help information. See bellow example image
This feature will help to learn appRain functionalists easily.
All help database will saved in XML file in following location and each help node will have an unique Call id.
/development/cache/data/inlinehelp.jpgRead More...
PNG fix for appRain
A new component has been added in repository to fix your PNG image.
This plugin will fix the missing PNG-Transparency in Windows Internet Explorer 5.5 & 6. Common features are
- Unobtrusive script, simple to setup
- Works also with CSS-Backgrounds (but scaling backgrounds)
- Works with PNG-Images within Links
- TITLE, ALT, CLASS and STYLE-Attributes are considered
This basic JavaScript plugin is develop by Andreas Eberhard
How to Install
Here is the following steps to install:
- Step 1: First download the component from PNG Fix
- Step 2: Login to Admin Panel
- Step 3: Go to component tab and Click "Install New Compoentn"
- Step 4: Browse Component file from your hard disk and click "Install".
- Step 5: After install find the component in the list and Click "Activate"
- Done
Online Component Repository in appRain
This feature helps you to know update news about component release from your own admin panel. You can see full or searched list of component and download it for use.
Online Component Repository is very simple to use. First login admin panel and go to “Component” tab. In newer version you will see a button “Get Component”, click on that to view the list.
Here I have share some screenshot:
"Get Component" buttin in component gallery page.
List of components.
Search component in repository.
Install and Use Image Rotator
Image Rotator is one of those components; we developed in earlier stage of component released, but still work fine. It was an embedded component with all prior version of 0.2.1 but now it’s available in extension library of appRain official website.
Installation of “Image Rotator” is pretty straight forward, first download the Zip source and upload in your website from admin by component installer.
Admin Panel > Components > Install Components.
After installation you can see the new component in the list and activate it to see in home page. In the first observation you may see a black screen as no image is uploaded.
After installation you will get all related option on left side menu in component tab. First you can adjust the height and width of the presentation canvas to adjust with website template.
Uploading image is the heart of the slideshow. Always try to size the image with same ratio of canvas size to create and good presentation.
Basically that’s all about the operative part of the image rotator component.
But you can play around with component code for some advanced work. First look at register.php in
/component/imagerotator/register.php
The flash code attached in template by a UI hook called “home_page_banner” by following code:
App::Module('Hook') ->setHookName('UI') ->setAction("home_page_banner") ->Register(get_class($this),"add_html"); If you like to move the image rotator let’s say in bottom of the page in the hook “home_content_area_G” then just replace it “home_page_banner”. Either, you can create a new hook and place it in the template like
App::Hook('UI')->Render(mynew_position_in_template);
Step by step you can also see the XML generator area, Setting area all those are editable to make it more advanced.
Cheers!
Read More...Work with URL and Directories paths
When we start with template or control the website URL become necessary information. Here are two method to retrieve base url:
App::Config()->baseUrl()
This method runs everywhere in appRain environment. We can pass sub part as parameter to append with the base URL for example:
// Return like www.example.com/blog/bycat/5
App::Config()->baseUrl('/blog/bycat/5');
We must add a slash (/) at the begin of sub part. Sometime we need to convert the URL in 'https' format. This is a common practice when we work in any secure page. To convert it in secure URL we pass a 2nd parameter like bellow.
// Return like https://www.example.com/blog/bycat/5
App::Config()->baseUrl('/blog/bycat/5',true);
Same task can done by another method $this->baseUrl(), But it's recommend to use only in template and controller.
Well, Templates designers feel very slothful to write baseUrl method to fetch theme address because, it require passing theme name each time. To make it easy we have another two methods like bellow
App::Config()->skinUrl(); $this->skinUrl();
These method works exactly like baseUrl function. See following examples
// return www.example.com/themeroot/themename
echo App::Config()->skinUrl() ;
// return www.example.com/themeroot/themename/images
echo $this->skunUrl('/images');
We can use "filemanagerurl" to fetch file manager URL. The attached "/uploads/filemanager" sub part with the return value.
// return www.example.com/uploads/filemanager
echo App::Config()->filemanagerurl () ;
// return www.example.com/uploads/filemanager/logo.png
echo App::Config()->filemanagerurl ('/logo.png') ;
Now lets see how we can work with directory path. Following functions can use to serve the purpose
App::Config()->rootdirl) ;
This method return the root path where we have hosted the project like bellow
// return like '/home/public_html/'
echo App::Config()->rootdirl () ;
// return like 'd:/xampp/htdosc/website/components'
echo App::Config()->rootdirl ('/components/') ;
Most of the time we require to fetch the towards "webroot" we can use following method for it
// return '/home/public_html/webroot'
echo App::Config()->basedir () ;
// return '/home/public_html/webroot/uploads/filemanager'
echo App::Config()->basedir ('/uploads/filemanager/') ;
To fetch file manager path we can call simply this
// return /webroot/uploads/filemanager/ echo App::Config()->filemanagerdir();
"skindir" this method is use to get current theme directory. See following example
// return /development/view/rainboo/ echo App::Config()->skindir();
There are two special function to redirect website in other URL. Most frequently use
$this->redirect($URL,$Mode,$https); App::Config()->redirect($URL,$Mode,$https);
For example we like to move in blog section
App::Config()->redirect('/blog');
exit;
It is recommended to call "exit" after calling this function and it always receive relative path not full URL.
We have another two parameters $mode and $https to customize redirection pattern.
By default this method work with PHP header which is dependent on output buffer. But if we pass 'javascript' keyword then it redirect by using JavaScript window.location.
App::Config()->redirect('/blog','javascript');
By default $https mode is false, but if we pass true then it redirects to secure URL. See following example:
// redirect to https:://www.example.com/blog
App::Config()->redirect('/blog',null, ture);
We have another method "transfer". This method also redirects URL but display a message during redirection and remain the message on the screen for few seconds. App::Config()->transfer ('http://www.example.com/blog','Your are going to redirect in new location'); We have another advantage is, we can pass some value in 'POST' method. To pass the value we have to set it by using magic method. See following example :
App::Config()
-> getPostVars(
array(
'field1'=>'value1',
'field2'=>'value2',
'field3'=>'value3',
)
)
->transfer (
'http://www.example.com/blog',
'You are going to redirect in new location'
);
The "transfer" method always expect Full URL with "http" not a relative path
Read More...appReport Version 0.1.1 is on the way of released
Report builder is just on the way to released. It will help to developer/code report from admin panel and generate output.
User will be able to write PHP code inside the code editor and develop the report. You can execute SQL and take help of necessary core library help.
appRain generate two type of report, Grid based and Text base. Both of these two reports are flexible for end user.
Report module has two basic mode. Developer mode is to write code and prepare the reporting process and user mode can execute report having read only permission.Report access control generate automatically in Administrator management section. A user must get proper privilege to run a report.
Report Code Editor
Developer View
User View
Grid Base Report View
Text Base Report View
appRain new version 0.2.1 has released.
appRain has release a new ‘Stable Release’ with version no 0.2.1. Quite a few decisions have been taken on that regards. All Stable versions release number will increasing middle parameter and right side number will be always 1. And right segment will grater then 1 for any beta version.
Stable: X.[X++].1 For example: 0.2.1, 0.3.1
Beta : X.X.(X++>1) For example: 0.2.2, 0.2.3
Several components have removed from this version that can make some negative impact in primary sense, because users have to install necessary plugins from appRain website. But they will get a habit to look for new components and update on regular basis and it will keep them up to date.
In new version (0.2.1) user able to save FTP access in admin panel for smooth installation of Components. Developers can copy installable file in any directory by XML definition but we recommend avoiding core libraries. Major bugs has fixed in Uploading and Cache Management. System always keeps a backup of edited file from appEditor and you can recovery any corrupted files from cache repository.
A major decision is, appRain team has decided to closed “appRain Core 0.1.0” version because it’s not maintained. So, the source code and SVN access of this version has been removed from Google Repository.
appRain official website is going to renovate in new look with loads of features. It will be more useful for users to get connected with Code, Tutorials, Download and Core team as well!
Let’s check the new version! Chrees.
