**NOW RELEASED** Black Magic Data
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I am thinking of a new addon 'Black Magic Data'. This will be black - if used wrongly its likely to break your site.
To date, I have maintained that MD will only ever read the database and never update it. I am now relenting on that. The idea is that Black Magic Data will contain symbols that update the database or do other dangerous things. Those who want to can install the black magic addon. By making it a new addon, it will keep the existing symbols safe.
Examples:
- Having worked out something using MD, it could be saved to a page attribute, so symbols for creating and updating attributes.
- Similarly, symbols for creating filesets and adding/removing files from filesets.
With that type of dangerous functionality in mind, does anyone have further ideas/uses for database updating symbols?
To date, I have maintained that MD will only ever read the database and never update it. I am now relenting on that. The idea is that Black Magic Data will contain symbols that update the database or do other dangerous things. Those who want to can install the black magic addon. By making it a new addon, it will keep the existing symbols safe.
Examples:
- Having worked out something using MD, it could be saved to a page attribute, so symbols for creating and updating attributes.
- Similarly, symbols for creating filesets and adding/removing files from filesets.
With that type of dangerous functionality in mind, does anyone have further ideas/uses for database updating symbols?
| Type: | Discussion |
|---|---|
| Status: | Archived |
Black Magic Data is now submitted to the PRB
http://www.concrete5.org/marketplace/addons/black-magic-data/...
http://www.concrete5.org/marketplace/addons/black-magic-data/...
Wow, you are incredibly quick :)
With all the warnings about potentially dangerous things, I would feel much safer if there was:
1. a form of notification if the applied symbols could somehow be dangerous
2. some way of versioning or backing up the database or at least need-to-check-a-checkbox "yes I just backed up my DB"
As with your usecase described, this seems heavily useful for any form of event display.
What I would like to do:
When adding a event (which is a page), add a Location attribute (like full address), this could be displayed on a googlemap on the actual event page and in a accumulated Map at the parent page with links to the single event pages on the markers.
In Addition with a "end date" for each event, the markers could have some css applied to display the "past event" status.
With both location and end_date attributes, the display of a event list in chronological order could also be set up, as well as a filter with a "near to me (User location)" display.
I am picturing a "touring-calendar"-display with all the possibilities to see all the events, all the events minus the past events, filter them according to any thinkable data (next one, closest one, closest to [address]).
Taken one step further, this could also be applied to the whole booking process with maybe getting people in touch who are starting from the same location (if user-location is known).
But with all this in mind - I really vote for security notifications :)
With all the warnings about potentially dangerous things, I would feel much safer if there was:
1. a form of notification if the applied symbols could somehow be dangerous
2. some way of versioning or backing up the database or at least need-to-check-a-checkbox "yes I just backed up my DB"
As with your usecase described, this seems heavily useful for any form of event display.
What I would like to do:
When adding a event (which is a page), add a Location attribute (like full address), this could be displayed on a googlemap on the actual event page and in a accumulated Map at the parent page with links to the single event pages on the markers.
In Addition with a "end date" for each event, the markers could have some css applied to display the "past event" status.
With both location and end_date attributes, the display of a event list in chronological order could also be set up, as well as a filter with a "near to me (User location)" display.
I am picturing a "touring-calendar"-display with all the possibilities to see all the events, all the events minus the past events, filter them according to any thinkable data (next one, closest one, closest to [address]).
Taken one step further, this could also be applied to the whole booking process with maybe getting people in touch who are starting from the same location (if user-location is known).
But with all this in mind - I really vote for security notifications :)
Are you a PRB member and have read the pages, or are you surmising from previous discussion? Most of your points are addressed in the docs page and I put together the individual map pages part of what you describe as the worked example in the documentation.
I have attached screengrabs of the marketplace pages (these are pre-review pages and are subject to change)
There is also a sandbox setting that throws away rather than writing, enabled for the symbol tester by default (ie, you need to uncheck it), that can also be enabled globally.
In light of your comment I will add a reminder about backing up the database beneath the checkboxes. I will also add a danger/warning note to the built in help for the respective symbols.
I have attached screengrabs of the marketplace pages (these are pre-review pages and are subject to change)
There is also a sandbox setting that throws away rather than writing, enabled for the symbol tester by default (ie, you need to uncheck it), that can also be enabled globally.
In light of your comment I will add a reminder about backing up the database beneath the checkboxes. I will also add a danger/warning note to the built in help for the respective symbols.
No, no PRB access :)
I have made the changes I described above. The symbols documentation/help is also available online at
http://www.c5magic.co.uk/add-ons/magic-data/symbols-documantation/...
(filter by package 'Black Magic Data')
http://www.c5magic.co.uk/add-ons/magic-data/symbols-documantation/...
(filter by package 'Black Magic Data')
Place a Google Maps Locations block on a page above a whole list of pages using Sorcerer's Map. If the location expression in Sorcerer's Map could be extended with a few symbols to also save the location to page attributes, then Google Maps Locations could be used to automatically provide an overall index map.