Custom cover layouts for each section+issue -> plugin?
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Alicia UrreaAlicia Urrea
    Posts: 3Member
    Hi everyone,

    We have been asked by a client to develop a custom theme for Newscoop. Their formost requirement is that they need ti have a way to create diferent layouts, based on a set number of blocks, for each cover page and section page on each issue. 

    Right now they are solving this problem by creating article playlist to define each block, and then create custom templates for each section and cover page where they query the specific list to render it on a certain way. That is, 5 custom templates per issue, on a weekly magazine. We believe this is a far from optimal solution and would like to explore other options. I'd like to run here some of the ideas we've had and gather some feedback, if possible ;)

    This is what we've came up with so far:

    1) Create some sort of extension or plugin that generates a new type of object called "layouts". This object would relate to issues and sections and you could choose for each layout: 
    • General template to use
    • Blocks (complex multi)
    • type of block (from dropdown) 
    • header (input text)
    • articles (choose from articles on this issue)
    2) Work with content playlists, and create a custom nomenclature. It would be something like 20150101_politics_1_grid2x2 where the first part would be the issue name, the second would be the section, then the order of the block within the page, and the last the layout for this part.

    3) ¿?

    Inputs? Ideas? Feedback?
    Post edited by Alicia Urrea at 2015-02-13 07:05:37
  • 3 Comments sorted by
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Jonas ØrtingJonas Ørting
    Posts: 8Member
    What kind of layout options are they looking for? Could you perhaps give some more specific examples?
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Alicia UrreaAlicia Urrea
    Posts: 3Member
    Hi @Jonas Ørting,

    We found a different low-tech solution. We created a type of article called block, with some custom fields on them. Custom fields include stuff like:
    - Title of this block
    - Order
    - Layout code

    We use the related articules to choose which articles need to be shown on which block and in which position.

    We then create a bunch of this type of block articles for each section and issue (anything that needs a custom cover page, really). The basic section template querys all block type article on that section and shows them on the right order, with the right layout and the correct articles.

    We still are on developement but plan on going live with this system in a couple of weeks at most. I will then post a link and maybe some screenshots if somebody is interested on them.

    Cheers.
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Jonas ØrtingJonas Ørting
    Posts: 8Member
    That's pretty clever.

    One of the things that I find extremely useful and powerful with newscoop is the ease with which editors can make sorted lists of content.
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