History: PluginList

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            ! Plugin List
''Introduced in ((Tiki7))''. If you are searching for the list of all plugins, see ((All Plugins)).

{maketoc title="Sections within this page" levels="2,3"}

!! Introductionary Remarks

__LIST__ is a very powerful and flexible ((wiki plugin)) that can return and output data (a listing) of information using various sorts, filters etc. It uses the search data provided by the improved ((Unified Index|search index)) so it should be emphasized that this means that ===only=== the data that has actually been indexed by the ((Unified Index)) can be accessed. A good knowledge of how Unified Index works is therefore recommended.

By utilizing a full-text search across most major Tiki ((features)), which is then enhanced by programmable filter, OUTPUT, DISPLAY, and SORT commands, this combination can render almost any information in the database in any format desired. This means that LIST is similar in some respects to ((Pretty Trackers)) output of ((PluginTrackerlist|TrackerList)) plugin but it is not limited to just the ((Tracker)) data. When combined with the ((PluginCustomSearch)) plugin, LIST can replace ((PluginTrackerlist|TrackerList)) and ((PluginTrackerfilter|TrackerFilter)) plugin usage and can considerably extend it!! Please also see ((PluginListExecute)).

!!! Commands vs. Wiki Plugins

''"Commands"'' are quite similar to ''"wiki plugins"'', as they use the very same syntax of parameters and values.
The positions of the parameters can be switched around aswell in wiki plugins as in List commands. Both allow to leave the the quotation marks around the values of the parameters away, when the values contain no empty spaces.

However, for both, commands and wiki plugins, it makes sense to stick to some best practice in respect of a consistent sort order. This is not mandatory, but makes it easier to understand the prinicple, to read the own code and to work together in teams. This is especially valid for the LIST commands, as there are usually a lot of commands used in one LIST plugin.

The difference between ''"commands"'' and ''"wiki plugins"'' is, that you cannot use a ''"command"'' stand alone outside one of the plugins, which use the ''"PluginList"'' syntax, as there are ''"PluginList"'', ''"PluginCustomSearch"'' and ''"PluginListExecute"''. If you would place a single List ''"command"'' stand alone on a wiki page it would happen either nothing or you got an error message.

''"Wiki plugins"'' instead are used stand alone everwhere, where you can use wiki syntax and to some extend, you can nest them aswell. 

!!! Clarifying a potential confusion

One potentially confusing fact is the difference between a command and a parameter both called ''"format"'':

The parameter ''"format"'' (in lower case)  inside the command ''"{display}"'' is responsible for how the displayed result is rendered. Maybe it also could have been named ''"render"'' instead of ''"format"'', but ''"format"'' was the naming decision of our coders and that makes sense aswell, maybe even better sense on some reason. 

The command ''"~np~{FORMAT(name=...)}~/np~"'' (in upper case) wraps around the command ''"~np~{display}~/np~"'' and is for example responsible for the reference to the command column (when we consider the example of a tracker table display). 

The other potentially confusing fact is, is the difference and same time similarity of the parameters ''"field"'' and ''"name"'', where we use always ''"field''" in the ''~np~{filter} and in the {column}~/np~'' inside the  ''"~np~{OUTPUT(template=table)})~/np~"'' command.
Contrarily we use ''"name"''  in the optional ''~np~{display}~/np~ and  ~np~{FORMAT()}''~/np~ commands.

__When we use this ...__

{CODE()}
{filter field="tracker_id" content="10"}
  {OUTPUT(template="table")}
     {column field="tracker_field_permanent_name_1" label="columntitle" mode="raw"}
     {column field="tracker_field_permanent_name_2" label="columntitle" mode="raw"}
  {OUTPUT}
{CODE}

__... then the ''"field"' parameter contains a ''"Unified Index field"'' - in this case a tracker field which we want to display.__

__But when we use this ...__

{CODE()}
{filter field="tracker_id" content="10"}
  {OUTPUT(template="table")}
     {column field="reference_1" label="columntitle" mode="raw"}
     {column field="reference_2" label="columntitle" mode="raw"}
  {OUTPUT}
     {FORMAT(name="reference_1")}{display name="tracker_field_permanent_name_1" format=trackerrender editable=inline default="n.a."}{FORMAT}
     {FORMAT(name="reference_2")}{display name="tracker_field_permanent_name_2" format=trackerrender editable=inline default="n.a."}{FORMAT}
{CODE}

__... we referenced (passed) the actual value of the ''"field"'' parameter of command ''"~np~{column ...}~/np~"'' to the subcommand ''"~np~{display ...}~/np~"'' inside the command '''"~np~{FORMAT(...)~/np~"'', where we for some reason cannot use a parameter '"field"''.__

When we reference the orignal content of ''"field"'' from one to another command, both commands need to ''"know"'' about each other, which you see as obvious, when you have more than only one column. 
So the content of the column's field parameter will be replaced with a reference string and this reference string has to be repeated in the FORMAT's name parameter. Now the column command and the FORMAT command are interlinked with each other. Finally the original content of the columns field parameter (which is a "Unified Index field") has to be placed into the display's name parameter.

__In other words: __

''"Unified Index field string"'' goes from ''"column field"'' to ''"display name"'' 
And a ''"reference string"'' is added to ''"column field"'' and ''"FORMAT name"''

Important to know is the content of the page __((Unified Index))__, where you find a list of all available ''"Unified Index fields"'' for which you can filter and in respect of tracker based tables you can use to create columns.

!!Additional child pages of the LIST documentation

{toc}

!! Syntax Overview 

The overall format is the same as any other plugin: 
{CODE(colors="tiki")}
{LIST()}
body content
{LIST}{CODE}

Any of the following commands with their own plugin-like syntax are placed in the body of the LIST plugin to define the search query that will be carried out and how the resulting list will be presented :

{FANCYTABLE(head="__::plugin-like command::__|__::description::__|__::version::__|__::default or required::__|__::see below for more detail::__" sortable="n")}
__list__ or __pagination__| The LIST plugin will display 50 results by default but depending on the output you might want to decrease the visible amount of results to improve performance. |pagination from Tiki 11 |default is 50 items | see the child page ((LIST - list or pagination command)) for full details and worked examples
__filter__ |is a ===required=== command in the LIST body content and is  used to define the search query that will be carried out ie what objects from the complete set that have been indexed by the Unified Search will be included in the resultant list |  |:: required:: |   see the child page ((LIST - filter command)) for full details and worked examples
__OUTPUT__ |defines what the output 'template' will be by either using one of several standard/built-in templates eg table, medialist or carousel or by referencing a user defined wiki or smarty template. For the table template for example, the body content is used to define which columns/fields are shown |  |::optional:: |     see the child pages ((LIST - OUTPUT command)) and ((LIST - advanced output command)) for full details and worked examples
__ALTERNATE__  |used in conjunction with the OUTPUT command it can define an alternative output when an individual item (row) from a search/listing has no value | | ::optional::  |see the child page ((LIST - OUTPUT command)) for more details and worked examples
__FORMAT__ |The FORMAT command is used to create individually templated objects that can then be used in any of the individual OUTPUT methods.  | | ::optional:: |see the child page ((LIST - FORMAT command))  for full details and worked examples
__DISPLAY:__ |Used to define placement and formatting of individual objects|  |  ::optional:: |  see the child page ((LIST - display command))  for full details and worked examples
__SORT:__ |allows the resultant list of objects to be sorted in a specified order|  | ::optional:: |  see the child page ((LIST - sort command)) for full details and worked examples
{FANCYTABLE}

!! Basic worked example

::step by step instructions to be added here for a basic worked example::

In the meantime, you can see a basic working example here: ((GeoLocation)) (or play in your tiki with a similar basic example after applying the profile ((pr:Easy Geoblog)), which is available at the ((Profiles Wizard)) ).
 
!! Body content elements of the LIST Plugin

Each of the principle plugin-like commands are described in more detail in the following set of child pages:
{toc}

!! Additional General Notes on the Syntax

* The field argument in the content filter can contain multiple fields separated by commas.

!! Available Fields

All the fields that are indexed can be referenced by the various plugin-like commands e.g. filter , FORMAT, etc and a complete list of fields for each object type can be found  in the ((Unified Index)) documentation.

!! More Worked Examples

!!!!!! Example Tracker item with Comments

!! Item
{CODE(colors="tiki")}
{LIST()}
 {pagination max="1"}
 {filter type="trackeritem"}
 {filter field="object_id" content="{{itemId}}"}
{LIST}
{CODE}

!!! Comments
{CODE(colors="tiki")}
{LIST()}
 {filter type="comment"}
 {filter field="parent_object_id" content="{{itemId}}"}
 {filter field="parent_object_type" content="trackeritem"}
{LIST}
{CODE}

!!!!!! Example Blog Post List
''This code:''

{CODE(colors="tiki")}
{LIST()}
	{list max="10"}
	{filter type="blog post"}
	{filter content="1" field="blog_id"}
{LIST}
{CODE}

''Would produce on this site:''

{LIST()}
	{list max="10"}
	{filter type="blog post"}
	{filter content="1" field="blog_id"}
{LIST}

!!Tutorials
* ((Tutorial - Display Tracker Data with Plugin List))
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgf1GcWzOs|LIST plugin demo and nesting tracker items - Youtube]

-=Aliases=-
* (alias(Plugin List))