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Jared
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Mar 11, 2003, 10:40 PM
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RM Feature Requests / Templates
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I went through setting up templates for different types of properties, assigning them - and making them work. Then I realized that any generated content (i.e. all listings, full search results, view my listings by realtor/agent) would not use those custom templates.
It seems like the best solution would be to add the direct ability to assign a template group per item, that could then be used to generate the item pages (static and dynamic), be used in searches, etc. I know that's quite a bit of change, but it would provide a great deal of flexibility for a database that is not 100% identical type of records (rental and for sale is a good example, or vacant and non-vacant)...
Lacking that, the ability to show information based on whether a field has data or not would be very useful. Similar to what we can currently do with images and no_images, but for specific fields (so that we can easily hide empty fields without having to use javascript workarounds.)
Also - and I know it's on the to-do list and should be included in the near future - please make sure that (at least) GD.pm image manipulation makes it into the next build... Imagemagick will take more work (it's a much larger package and can be a real pain to setup and install sometimes)... but just having a checkbox that allows us to turn on thumbnail creation once your script has verified GD.pm is installed and useable would be very nice (and integration shouldn't be a very big issue as it is just a few commands to create the thumb.) That has been at the top of my FR list for quite some time :)
And, finally - the built in ability to give ownership of a record (i.e. property) to more than one user... I know we can create custom fields that would show on the template to show the customer that the property is listed by more than one agent, but that doesn't give both agents access to the property (to edit and make changes)... it would only give the actual (real) agent, and not the custom-field'ed agent... building something like this in would make it a lot easier to implement and allow more than one user access to a specific listing without having to give them admin-level access.
Just a few suggestions, that can hopefully be implemented at one time or another... but - otherwise - great product :)
Jared
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Benjamin
Staff
Mar 13, 2003, 2:02 PM
Post #2 of 8
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Re: [Jared] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Hi Jared,
Great suggestions! Let me just ask a couple of questions for clarification:
> It seems like the best solution would be to add the direct ability to assign a template group per item, that could then be used to generate the item pages (static and dynamic), be used in searches, etc.
What is the item, exactly? Do you mean some sort of new way to categorize listings? (I like it!) With our Article Manager product, there's interface options for allocating a particular template to a particular category. But with Realty Manager, the generated pages can only really have one template, since they're 'single' pages. The new template-passing capabilities of the search script gets around this, adding greater control over how information is presented.
But yes, I like the idea of somehow having a way to group listings, and assigning templates to them accordingly... phew! Big job.
> Lacking that, the ability to show information based on whether a field has data or not would be very useful.
Again, this is a good idea. The javascript workaround are a pain (as irishis knows, right now :-), and at the moment can lead to more potential problems. ...Perhaps there'd be a way to increase the functionality of the templatecells to allow for something like this. I'll have a word with a co-worker about this.
Concerning your other suggestions:
- GD and ImageMagick extension options are slated for release in the next version. They're being Quality Assured at the moment.
- multiple listing 'ownership' is an interesting feature request. I haven't heard of that being suggested before. I'll pass it along!
Thanks very much for the suggestions!
Ben
interactivetools.com
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Jared
Novice
Mar 15, 2003, 2:51 AM
Post #3 of 8
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Re: [Benjamin] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Having the ability to customize the dynamic pages (by putting the template in the query string) is definitely better than what we had, but - it would be nice if it could be expanded more :)
For example - in each properties fields, you'd have an option to assign it a specific template. So - I could assign House A to template "Standard Listing" and I could assign Rental A to template "Rental Listing." Then what the static pages are generated, they will be generated using the appropriate template and then (to the normal user) they will never notice there are two copies to every page (one dynamic, one static.)
Taking this one step farther, the only other locations that cannot be customized are the all listings page, and any searches that would contain more than one type of listing (i.e. rentals and standard). To solve this, any template that produces lists of properties (both the all listings and search results) should have added functionality in the templatecell.... so you'd get something like this:
<!-- templatecell: listing_image/standardlisting -->
(HTML for any item with an image and with the template type set to standardlisting)
<!-- /templatecell: listing_image/standardlisting -->
<!-- templatecell: listing_image/rentallisting --> or
<!-- templatecell: listing_noimage/rentallisting --> etc
Something in that regard, so that any dynamic or statically generated pages can show pertinent information for each record. That would go a long way in being able to customize your product for multiple types of properties. You've got half of it in the product now - doing these few changes would finish it off and then make using templates per category/property something that would seamlessly work throughout the entire site.
Jared Kassien
2am Consulting
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Benjamin
Staff
Mar 16, 2003, 10:05 AM
Post #4 of 8
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Re: [Jared] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Hi Jared -
Again, excellent suggestions! As you note, they seem a logical extension of Realty / Auto Manager's current functionality. The new templatecells you envision make absolute sense - but since the user can define their OWN templates, and thus their own corresponding templatecells, this may require a substantial overhaul of the code - not to mention the documentation ;-) Hmmm... GREAT idea, though - I think it would add a really useful level of functionality.
I'll make sure Fraser (our Product Manager) gets wind of this.
Ben
interactivetools.com
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vvcto
User
Mar 23, 2003, 12:18 PM
Post #5 of 8
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Re: [Jared] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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<< For example - in each properties fields, you'd have an option to assign it a specific template. So - I could assign House A to template "Standard Listing" and I could assign Rental A to template "Rental Listing." Then what the static pages are generated, they will be generated using the appropriate template and then (to the normal user) they will never notice there are two copies to every page (one dynamic, one static.) >>
We could definitely use this. Our current _publish_listing page contains financing and insurance advertising as well as our company logo. Lately, our area licensees have been asking for plain listing pages that can be linked to from dealership websites so the user doesn't know they have left the dealership website (and so that our ads don't compete with theirs). So it would be nice to be able to either choose a template or to be able to publish a listing to multiple templates.
Jeff.
Videovehicles.com
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Jared
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Mar 23, 2003, 12:42 PM
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Re: [vvcto] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Jeff=
You can already do this with the newest version of Realty Manager... just link to it like this:
<a href="$search_url$?view=$listing_num$& template=_publish_listing_fr.html">$lfield1$</a>
You'll get dynamic pages, but you are able to use any template you would like... there's more info on this in the Realty Manager's manual and reference guide available here:
http://www.interactivetools.com/docs/realtymanager/
Jared
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vvcto
User
Mar 23, 2003, 6:59 PM
Post #7 of 8
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Re: [Jared] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Thanks Jared,
That really works well ( 'course now I'm going to have to rebuild around it...). I was under the assumption that the only templates that could be specified were search results ones (because I didn't read far enough into the example...). It all makes complete sense to me now...
I would still like to be able to create multiple static listing pages by choosing from multiple templates. I have real problems working around no SSI... (even with the JS SSI emulator).
Jeff.
Videovehicles.com
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Benjamin
Staff
Mar 24, 2003, 3:16 PM
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Re: [vvcto] RM Feature Requests / Templates
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Hi Jared,
> I would still like to be able to create multiple static listing pages by choosing from multiple templates.
This is an interesting idea. But for now, you'd have to do it dynamically using the search engine. If you have any trouble doing this, just post me back :-)
Ben
interactivetools.com
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