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Building a Squidoo like application with Drupal

with 7 comments

Topicko.com is a squidoo like application with more features that enable users to connect with each other.  This site was created using Drupal 6. Today, I’ll discuss one part of the application — how to build a site that allows users to add contents dynamically using squidoo modules.

Modules needed:

Our goal is to make a content type that enable writers and editors to dynamically add and reorder sections in their content. Sections in this page refers to the “modules” of squidoo, eg Amazon, Poll, RSS feed, Guest book, Text module and Youtube vids.

Steps:

1. First is to install CCK, flexifield and the optional modules (text, link, emfield). For emfield, you may just select the video media.

2. Flexifield only accepts valid content types and not individual cck modules. In order to utilize flexifield, create separate content types for the text, link and emfield which only contains their respective contents for simplicity. You can add more once you are familiar with the steps.

3. Create your primary content type, in this example we will use “squidoo” as our content type. Add a new flexifield. In the flexifield system settings, select the boxes for the Text, Link and Emfield content types. Set the Number of Values to unlimited.

4. Add a new squidoo content.

The following is a shot taken from the actual topicko’s add topic. It will show you how to add new fields and reorder them.

Written by rachel

May 4th, 2009

Posted in Drupal

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7 Responses to 'Building a Squidoo like application with Drupal'

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  1. Nice one. How about if the user wants to customize the general layout/template of the topic page like having options to use a different theme? Is it possible to offer that kind of functionality? Any advice on modules that can be used to implement this?

    Rolan

    14 May 09

  2. I haven’t figured that out but that is an interesting question. I’ll look into it once I get a chance.

    rachel

    18 May 09

  3. hi, since you’ll be looking at theming also, is there a way a user can customize each page(like using different body color on each page) at the User Interface and not to touch the codes(style.css/tpl file) at all?

    zarrah

    18 May 09

  4. @rolan
    Try using content template. I hope it can help you.

    @the topic
    CCK is a very powerful module. You can actually allow it to work hand in hand with other modules. In my case, I installed Date, CCK, Calendar, and Views module to create a Calendar Page where users can post their events.

    cyrose

    18 May 09

  5. So this is suppose to be an all in one social network, an interesting concept. I have a bit of experience with squidoo but what features from other social networking sites are found on this application other than a squidoo-like page?

    Merben

    19 May 09

  6. I have used CCK as in a testing environment but upon seeing topicko I was quite wondering how the user was given the access to rearrange the added widgets at will. I haven’t tried that I was only limited to the extent were the admin has to force on which position they are to be placed.

    I have also tested contemplate (Content template) as suggested by Cyrose and it gives me the ability to design content template per node types.

    As for different theme per page I am not sure but I stumbled upon this module that allows you to have different theme (not just color) per section: http://drupal.org/project/sections.

    All in all, I agree that CCK is really a powerful module.

    JRJ Castano

    19 May 09

  7. Nice tutorial. This will definitely be a great help on working with contents.

    CCK seems so great, thanks for all the inputs with Drupal’s available modules.

    tere

    20 May 09

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