[Resolved] Need A Glossary

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[davidM-41]

Tell us what you are trying to do? UNDERSTAND all the terms you use.

Is there any documentation that you are following? Yes. All the on-line Toolset documentation and videos on YouTube.

Is there a similar example that we can see? Example of what? Terminology? A well-done glossary.

What is the link to your site? Not Applicable.

I am trying desperately t learn how to use Toolset. However, the vast majority of the documentation on your website uses terminology you seem to expect everyone to already understand.

I need you to point me to a GLOSSARY that explains terms like LAYOUT and VIEW and TEMPLATE, by first defining them, then by outlining critical characteristics (what sets them apart from other, similar terms), and then by giving examples of how they are used - note I did not say "example" singular, but used the plural, which means you should give an example of all major usages of that concept.

For example, what is the definition of a layout? Where can it be used? Where MUST it be used? What are the conditions that would tell us we should use one or not use one? Is it used for a whole page or a section on a page or both? What if we choose not to use a layout?

Having a single place to go to be able to look up the terms you use and see examples of their uses would be a great help in enabling your customers to learn how to use your product.

Do you have such a Glossary? If not, can you please build one?

SOURCE FOR THIS QUESTION: I have been a computer professional for 35+ years, and a professional database application developer for 20+ years. I have developed websites professionally for more than 10 years. I have a master's degree in computers. I have spent the last week studying Toolset intensively. I am still confused by your tutorials, and I still cannot figure out how to do even the most simple things. I don't think my failure to be able to understand Toolset is totally MY fault, do you?

Thanks.

[Minesh]

Hello. Thank you for contacting the Toolset support.

Let me briefly describe all summery and how each entity works.

When you are NOT using Toolset - how it works:
when you view content on the front-end (load any post or page frontend), how it appears is normally determined by your theme, which uses different PHP templates to generate the output, depending on what is being displayed.

For posts, including custom types of posts, the theme will normally use a template single.php to generate the output. And if you are displaying page, it will use the page.php template from your theme.

Now, you want to add custom post types, taxonomies, custom fields to your project without writing PHP which is where Toolset comes in. You can create such content (custom post types, taxonomies, custom fields, post relationship) using Types plugin:

Here is the Tutorial which you can follow:
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/

In addition to that, you can also use our "Beyond the Basic" tutorial:
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/beyond-the-basics/beyond-the-basics-training-site/

It's generally better to either use Toolset Layouts or Content Templates - not both applied to single content.

Views lets you create Views, Content Templates where you insert the fields, both standard fields and custom fields, taxonomy terms etc., where you want them.
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/learn-what-you-can-do-with-views/

When you Create a Content Template and assign such a template to a post type what happens is that when the theme renders the output for that post using single.php Views intervenes and swaps out what the theme would render and replaces it with what you have designed with your Content Template. (It is actually only replacing the part of the output that the theme renders using the_content() function. This applies to Layouts as well.)
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/view-templates/
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/create-templates-to-display-custom-posts/

Layouts are an alternative way of doing the same thing, and you would do one or the other. Layouts is a page builder (with drap and drop facility) and so it gives you some more control over the placing of content within your template, e.g. in columns or a grid. It is nothing you can't achieve with a Views Content Template and the necessary CSS, but provides a more visual way of constructing the page. They are otherwise the same. If you try to assign both a Template Layout and a Content Template to the same post type, Layouts wins. The main advantage of Layouts is it has an automated Bootstrap Builder, you drag around elements and it generates the HTML and outputs it - while in Content Templates you need to write the most HTML on your own.
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/layouts/
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/create-templates-to-display-custom-posts/designing-templates-with-toolset-layouts/

As I already acknowledge that Layout/Content Template only replacing the part of the output that the theme renders using the_content() function. That means both will have effect on only post body area where you can not control the sidebars, headers, footers etc..etc..

Now, if you want to have bit more control of the section outside of the post body area (that means you want to control sidebars and other theme-options), you can use one of our recommended themes.
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/recommended-themes/

If you are using any of the above-recommended themes to be used to design the templates/Layouts where you will have control on few theme elements using the Theme Options, for example, please check the following the link:
=> https://toolset.com/documentation/recommended-themes/using-toolset-with-generatepress-theme/#controlling-generatepress-theme-options-for-templates-and-archives

In addition to all above, you can also use the following wizard and go through it and it will display all related Docs required to build your site:
=> https://toolset.com/home/questionnaire/

And you can also use our free test platform http://www.discover-wp.com and try to install any of our available reference site and paly with it.

[davidM-41]

A huge THANK YOU to Minesh for such a wonderful and detailed reply. It is incredibly valuable to me, but is taking me some time to digest it. Please don't think that developing in Toolset is my full-time job - I have a dozen other things going on as well, all clamoring for my time.

However, as wonderful and detailed and valuable as this answer is, you still did not answer my question - which is can you point me to a GLOSSARY of terms, or else build one for us users?

As powerful as Toolset is, the help and tutorials is almost impossible to follow. I pick up what I can there, but have to resort to trial-and-error to truly figure out how to use it. This is why I wanted a glossary.

[davidM-41]

Okay, here's an example of what I mean in my query.

I have spent several days trying to find the answers to these questions in your documentation and in other places online, and have been unable to find the answers.

First, in your response above, you say we should use either a layout or a template for a page but not both. Okay, that I get. However, on the Toolset Dashboard, under "Custom Post Types..." in the Front End area, you list only a column for TEMPLATE but no column for LAYOUTS. This is greatly puzzling. It seems on the dashboard, our only option is to assign a template but we are unable to assign a layout there. Even if we do assign a layout through the Toolset > Layouts dialog, this does not show up on the dashboard, but we are still admonished there for not having custom fields assigned to the single.php template. Why is this?

Second question - when we have a front end EDIT form and a front end VIEW page, shouldn't they use different templates? Or different layouts? Which would be better? And why can we only assign one template to a CPT? Shouldn't we have one template for viewing a single item and a different template or layout for editing that item?

Also, shouldn't the single view template for a CPT be named single-[CPT-slug].php? And if so, where is it kept? If not, how do we keep it separate and distinct from the single.php template used for other pages on the site?

Another question: for any CPT we create through Toolset, it seems almost EVERY implementation should have at least the following four capabilities:Item
1. View a single item; we need a capability to build a LINK to view any designated single item from anywhere on the site.
2. EDIT a single item; we need the capability to build a LINK to edit any designated single item (controllable by Access)
3. View a sortable/filterable list of all items. You currently have this, but the only options you offer are to put all fields from a single item in one cell of a table or a bootstrap grid - there is no options to display all or seleccted fields on one or two lines per row, with one CPT listing per row. How can we do this? I've already done it by manipulating the HTML in the VIEW builder, but this should be one of your automated choices, and we should have drag-and-drop field positioning in rows.
4. A role-restricted editable list-by-rows of all CPT items. I have figured out how to do this in Toolset, although in a previous support ticket a tech said it could not be done.

Items 3 and 4 above are things I have figured out by trial-and-error, after spending HOURS poring through your documentation to figure out how to do them, without success. Items 1 and 2 above, along with the template-layout question above that, remain unresolved, again after spending many hours going through the documentation. It might be in there somewhere, but I surely cannot find it.

And this is why I am asking for a Glossary. With such an element in your documentation, I could look up any of the terms, see a definition of that term, see a list of its defining characteristics, and see links to all possible usages of that concept.

I'm not trying to be a pest - I'm just trying to learn this powerful but complex tool, and I keep getting frustrated. Thanks.

[Minesh]

1. View a single item; we need a capability to build a LINK to view any designated single item from anywhere on the site.
====>
You can view a signle item and design content template or Layout to design your single post type templates:
- https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/setting-view-templates-for-single-pages/

2. EDIT a single item; we need the capability to build a LINK to edit any designated single item (controllable by Access);
====>
To Edit an item (from frontend), you should create a Toolset Edit form:
- https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/publish-content-from-the-front-end/forms-for-editing/
- https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/publish-content-from-the-front-end/building-forms-for-editing-when-using-layouts/

3. View a sortable/filterable list of all items. You currently have this, but the only options you offer are to put all fields from a single item in one cell of a table or a bootstrap grid - there is no options to display all or selected fields on one or two lines per row, with one CPT listing per row. How can we do this? I've already done it by manipulating the HTML in the VIEW builder, but this should be one of your automated choices, and we should have drag-and-drop field positioning in rows.
====>
With view's, you can add as many fields as per your requirement within the Loop Editor section. So, its as per your choice, you can add/remove fields from the "Loop Editor" section as per your will.
- https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/view-layouts-101/
- https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/digging-into-view-outputs/

4. A role-restricted editable list-by-rows of all CPT items. I have figured out how to do this in Toolset, although in a previous support ticket a tech said it could not be done.
====>
Either you should use [wpv-conditional] shortcode to display conditional content or use Access shortcode [toolset_access] within your content;
For example:

[toolset_access role="Administrator" operator="allow"]
   this content is visible to administrator
[/toolset_access]

- The above content visible to only administrator role

For example:

[toolset_access role="Editor,Subscriber" operator="deny"]
   this content will not be visible to Editor,Subscriber
[/toolset_access]

And this is why I am asking for a Glossary. With such an element in your documentation, I could look up any of the terms, see a definition of that term, see a list of its defining characteristics, and see links to all possible usages of that concept.
===>
All the Docs link you can find with the following link:
- https://toolset.com/documentation/

Actually, Documentation is not within my control, all I can do it I can share a link where you can submit the feature request and add all your concern and the responsible person will review it:
=> https://toolset.com/home/contact-us/suggest-a-new-feature-for-toolset/

You can share your ideas and concern how you would like to improve the Docs and they will review your request.