;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;; Node Relationships ;; $Id: README.txt,v 1.1.2.8 2009-07-12 23:34:16 markuspetrux Exp $ ;; ;; Original author: markus_petrux (http://drupal.org/user/39593) ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; CONTENTS OF THIS FILE ===================== - OVERVIEW - REQUIREMENTS - INSTALLATION - DESCRIPTION - DEVELOPERS - CREDITS OVERVIEW ======== The Node Relationships module provides methods to complete two way relationships between content types enhancing the features of node reference fields. It provides the following features: - Enhancements for node reference fields: "Search and reference view" (single and multiple selection based on dynamically configured views) and "Add and reference". This feature uses the Modal Frame API to provide a popup dialogs from buttons attached to node reference fields configured to use the autocomplete widget. - Automatic back references using dynamically configured views that are able to extract the relations from existing database information. This views can be rendered using a myriad of methods in the node view. - The Node Relationships module provides default views for each feature that can be modified and/or cloned (recommended) should you need to add more fields, filters or change any other option to suit your needs. - Basic entity relations diagram (ERD) that can be used to view the relations of each individual content type. The provided diagram can be used to walk the relationships of all types in the system. REQUIREMENTS ============ - CCK and Node Reference. http://drupal.org/project/cck - Views. http://drupal.org/project/views - Modal Frame API. http://drupal.org/project/modalframe - jQuery UI (works with 1.6.x or 1.7.x). http://drupal.org/project/jquery_ui INSTALLATION ============ - Be sure to install all dependent modules. - Copy all contents of this package to your modules directory preserving subdirectory structure. - Go to Administer -> Site building -> Modules to install module. - Review the settings of your nodereference fields to make sure related content types are explicitly specified in the option "Content types that can be referenced". Note that this is optional when you are using a view for your nodereference fields, but this information is required by the node relationships module. - Now you can start browsing the "Relationships" tab available in the administration section of all content types, next to the "Manage fields" and "Display fields" tabs provided by CCK. DESCRIPTION =========== The Node Relationships module provides methods to complete two way relationships between content types enhancing the features of node reference fields. It provides the following features: - Enhancements for node reference fields configured to use the autocomplete widget: "Search and reference view" and "Add and reference". When these options are enabled, a new button for each one will be rendered in the node edit form, next to the corresponding autocomplete widget of the node reference field. These buttons will open a popup dialog where each feature is available. For nodereference fields defined with multiple values, a new button will be available next to the "Add more items" button that can be used to search and reference several nodes at a time. The "Search and reference" feature uses a view that is dynamically configured so that a single view can be reused by several node reference fields. A default view is provided with basic fields and pages for table or grid styles. You can modify and/or clone (recommended) this default view to add more field, filters, etc. A filter per node type is dynamically created to match the "Content types that can be referenced" option in the global settings section of the node reference field. Note that you should configure this option explicitly even if you use a view for the autocomplete widget of the node reference field. - Automatic back references: This module provides a method to display back reference views on referred nodes. Back reference definitions are taken from the "Content types that can be referenced" option in the global settings section of node reference fields configured to use the autocomplete widget. Note that you should configure this option explicitly even if you use a view for the node reference field. These back references do not need additional data stored in the database. Instead, views with the proper relationships are used to join the node reference field data with the corresponding nodes in the database. These views can then be used from the referred content types to provide a list of referrer nodes. The Node Relationships module provides a default view that you can modify and/or clone (recommended) should you need to add more fields, filters or change any other option to suit your needs. Each back reference can be displayed using one of several methods to render the corresponding view in the referred node itself (Field, Page and Tab). - Field: When a back reference is configured as a "Field", the Node Relationships module creates a CCK field automatically that provides the view output, and you can drag'n'drop this view to any position from the "Manage fields" panel of the content type. Note that no input widget is provided for this kind of fields, only the view output is provided. This field provides 2 formatters: - Back references view: renders the customized view as usual. - Back references count: displays the count of back references. - Page: This method provides a fieldset where all back reference fields assigned to this region will be rendered. This fieldset can be dragged to any position in the node using the "Manage fields" panel of the content type. - Tab: This method provides an alternative to the "Page" region, but the back references are displayed on a new tab "Relationships" added to the nodes where this option is enabled. - Entity relations diagram: This is a basic diagram of the relations of current content type with others (referred from and refers to). It can be used to walk the relationships of all types in the system. This diagram is available per content type from Administer -> Content management -> Content types -> [type] -> Relationships. DEVELOPERS ========== Aside from the options that can be configured for node reference fields, back references, views, etc. The Node Relationships module exposes a series of hooks that provide enhanced methods of programmatic configuration of the views and output generated. @todo: Document the hooks provided by the Node Relationships module. CREDITS ======= - This module has been sponsored by Gamefilia: http://www.gamefilia.com - Original versions of the icons can be found free from here: http://www.famfamfam.com/