Small changes for workflow convenience?
Hey Low. I've added Low Variables to a second website now. In this case, I went back and added Low Variables to an older project.
A couple of things I noticed that might make Low Variables easier to deal with for incorporating it into existing projects with a number of Global Variables already defined (or defined through the Fresh Variables module). I think these would help new projects too.
- I notice that if you have double quotes in your Variable Label, that works fine, but when you go to change the configuration of the field, the Variable Label's text disappears after the quote.
- On the main Low Variables page (where you actually get to change the label values), I think it would be way smoother if designated "Variable Managers" could have a Create New Variable button on this page too (as opposed to just the Manage Variables page).
- When creating a Variable, is it possible to offer the ability to define a value / initial checkbox / radio button state at the same time of creation of the Variable? Again... just thinking about speeding up the process of creating a lot of global variables. (One of the nice thing about Fresh Variables is being able to create a bunch of variables and values at once.)
- Of course it would also be way cool if we could copy the variables out of Fresh Variables, but I realize that's a taller order. For now, I think it's OK to have two windows side-by-side and copy and paste them.
- And yeah, I'm even more convinced that the variables could use an extra "notes/documentation" field for each variable you create. It's often crucial to be able to remind the client (or yourself) what the Variables you're setting up do. Could this could be "limited HTML text" (allowing for bold text, italics, and links?)
Anyway, the module works GREAT! I'm so glad that my clients can finally have an organized control panel for text snippets, site preferences, etc. Thanks for the great work, again.
Replies
Low 21 Dec 2009 07:52
Hey Rob,
Thanks for your constructive and useful feedback. I will definitely try and implement some of your suggestions. If you have more ideas, keep 'em coming!
Low 21 Dec 2009 14:26
Rob, I was thinking about the ability to set a variable value upon creation. The only way to do this in a proper way, is to add a textarea field to the Create Variable screen where you can fill out the value manually, like you would with Fresh Variables or User Defined Global Variables. Is that what you had in mind?
oxygensmith 21 Dec 2009 17:42
That's exactly what I had in mind. So even if you were setting up a radio button set, your "initial value" would be entered in text.
Low 21 Dec 2009 21:49
Rob, check out version 1.1.0. All but one (the Fresh Variables import) of your suggestions are implemented.
oxygensmith 24 Dec 2009 09:25
Low. I'm bowled over by how good the changes made things. It's a real pleasure to set up these variable control panels for the clients now... it makes operating their sites so much more understandable to them.
Thank you again! More license purchases are on the way...