Link to menu function..

[pixelsoul]

It would be great if in 4.5.2 you could also delete the item from the menu from the tab.

:)

[stingrey]

Actually there is some discussion as to whether the 'Link to Menu' option is really useful or whether we should limit it to Static Content only.
Basically examining whether it has a place in mambo or whether it simply adds confusion to the whole menu & content structure.

[reikimaster]

My vote would be to keep the function. Haven't given a lot of thought yet to the question of Static Content only. It's the only thing my wife uses it for at this point, but it really was suggested originally as a result of rigorous "wife testing".

I think, personally, that it's a nearly indespensible tool when creating Static Content and once you have the funtion created and implemented, how hard is it to simply keep it available as an option when creating other content?

Here's my take on this after careful evaluation of a "wife testing" session.... (hmmm... that sounds kinky, but I was really and truly referring to her using Mambo...).

One of the biggest problems that folks seem to have when trying to get their arms around the whole concept of Mambo's structure for content management, is getting them to understand the how sections, categories, items are related.

My understanding is that some of the concepts involved will be changing as we progress through 4.6 and on to 5.0, however the end user needs a manual. Many of the posts here are in regard to people building sites for clients with the hope of handing them off and letting them do their own content management. This is not possible in practical terms unless the client has a little instruction in HOW to manage their content. This necessitates understanding the structure at LEAST in simple terms. (they don't ... or shouldn't ... have to understand databases and queries and all that "under the hood" stuff )

The end user manual need not be anywhere near the depth of an admin manual. It merely needs to describe in layman's terms, how to add, delete, and edit content. Maybe call it an Editor's Manual. or Publisher's Manual. (as opposed to a full blown Owner's Manual :) )

Now I know this next bit is somewhat of a sore spot, but here goes...

The heart of all of this is a working wysiwyg editor. This has been the subject of much debate lately so I won't go over specifics about which editor. However it seems a foregone conclusion that an editor is needed that performs the most-needed tasks reliably. Add, edit, and format text. And add images. Ideally, formatting of text should be handled via a dropdown select that is linked to the sites current style sheet. This would put basic editing controls into the hands of end users in a familiar fashion. Key points being that it must be developed to a point where it works reliably. At this moment in time (and I accept flames for saying this... so be it) we have no reliably working AND well documented editors.

We have this wonderful CMS but it doesn't have a heart. An editor. And while it's wonderful that we can use any editor we want (if we can get it working) there needs to be some solid attention paid to this aspect. Efforts to get this piece in place seem pretty much left in the hands of the community, are scattered, contain conflicting information, and while much progress has been made (to everyone's credit) we still have no solid editor. Several are close, but again... the editor is a key piece in the CMS "puzzle".

Many of us, myself included, are perfectly fine with having 2 or 3 different editors in there because A has features that B doesn't and I need C to do <this task>. And I'm really ok with that as an admin. Flexibility is good. Adaptability is necessary. :)

And I've gotten waaaaaay off the topic of a "link to menu" function and I apologize for that. I really like Mambo and will continue with it for many reasons. That also means you'll have to listen to me ramble every once in a while. :)

[stingrey]

Maybe you can get together with YTW on this idea:
http://forum.mamboserver.com/showthread.php?t=18153


Another interestin usability therad is:
http://forum.mamboserver.com/showthread.php?t=18244

[reikimaster]

Thanks, StingRey. I'll be contacting both of those folks to see who is doing what. I really can't code at the level you guys do, but I can help maybe decide what needs coding. :)

The devs are doing one helluva job on this and I think the community is starting to take a very proactive role in helping you guys. That's a very encouraging thing to see indeed. I know several community members have been very active and constructive all along. Nice to see more joining in... in an organized fashion.