modules/module_builder/README.txt

$Id: README.txt,v 1.6.2.2 2007/12/20 20:07:09 dmitrig01 Exp $

Welcome to module_builder.module! This is an early prototype of a 
module designed to help expedite the process of creating custom 
modules. Simply fill out the form, select the hooks you want and the 
script will automatically generate a skeleton module file for you, 
along with PHPDoc comments and function definitions.

FEATURES
--------
* Automatically parses available hook names from CVS at your command...
  so help keep those files updated, won't you? ;)
* Comes with some sample standard hook function declarations to get 
  you started and a default module header; but if you don't like those,
  simply rename the .template files to -custom.template instead and 
  create your own definitions!
* Saves you the trouble of looking at drupaldocs.org 50 times a day to 
  remember what arguments and what order different hooks use. Score one
  for laziness! ;)
* Automatically selects hooks based on your needs.
* Option allows you to turn off informative comments.

INSTALL/CONFIG
--------------
1. Move this folder into your modules/ directory like you would any 
   other module.
2. Enable it from administer >> modules.
3. Go to administer >> settings >> module_builder and specify the path
   to save the hook documentation files
4. The first time you visit the module builder form, the module will 
   retrieve hook documentation from cvs.drupal.org and store it locally. 
   When you want to update this documentation later on, return to the 
   settings page and click the "Update" button.
5. (Optional) Create custom function declaration template file(s) if you
   don't like the default output.
6. (Optional) Create your own hook groupings if you don't like the 
   default ones.

USING THE MODULE
----------------
1. Click the "module_builder" link in the menu (note: you will require
   'access module builder' privileges to see this link)
2. Enter a module name, description, and so on.
3. Select from one of the available hook groupings to automatically 
   select hook choices for you, or expand the fieldsets and choose
   hooks individually.
4. Click the "Submit" button and watch your module's code generated
   before your eyes! ;)
5. Copy and paste the code into a files called <your_module>.module,
   <your_module>.info and <your_module>.install and save them to
   a <your_module> directory under one of the modules directories.
6. Start customizing it to your needs; most of the tedious work is 
   already done for you! ;)

TODO/WISHLIST
-------------
* Maybe some nicer theming/swooshy boxes on hook descriptions or 
  something to make the form look nicer/less cluttered
* I would like to add the option to import help text from a Drupal.org
  handbook page, to help encourage authors to write standardized 
  documentation in http://www.drupal.org/handbook/modules/

KNOWN ISSUES
------------
* Can't set default values in PHP 5 for some strange reason
* Fieldsets in Opera look mondo bizarr-o

CONTRIBUTORS
------------
* Owen Barton (grugnog2), Chad Phillips (hunmonk), and Chris Johnson 
  (chrisxj) for initial brainstorming stuff @ OSCMS in Vancouver
* Jeff Robbins for the nice mockup to work from and some great suggestions
* Karthik/Zen/|gatsby| for helping debug some hairy Forms API issues
* Steven Wittens and David Carrington for their nice JS checkbox magic
* jsloan for the excellent "automatically generate module file" feature
* Folks who have submitted bug reports and given encouragement, thank you
  so much! :)
1	$Id: README.txt,v 1.6.2.2 2007/12/20 20:07:09 dmitrig01 Exp $
2
3	Welcome to module_builder.module! This is an early prototype of a
4	module designed to help expedite the process of creating custom
5	modules. Simply fill out the form, select the hooks you want and the
6	script will automatically generate a skeleton module file for you,
7	along with PHPDoc comments and function definitions.
8
9	FEATURES
10	--------
11	* Automatically parses available hook names from CVS at your command...
12	so help keep those files updated, won't you? ;)
13	* Comes with some sample standard hook function declarations to get
14	you started and a default module header; but if you don't like those,
15	simply rename the .template files to -custom.template instead and
16	create your own definitions!
17	* Saves you the trouble of looking at drupaldocs.org 50 times a day to
18	remember what arguments and what order different hooks use. Score one
19	for laziness! ;)
20	* Automatically selects hooks based on your needs.
21	* Option allows you to turn off informative comments.
22
23	INSTALL/CONFIG
24	--------------
25	1. Move this folder into your modules/ directory like you would any
26	other module.
27	2. Enable it from administer >> modules.
28	3. Go to administer >> settings >> module_builder and specify the path
29	to save the hook documentation files
30	4. The first time you visit the module builder form, the module will
31	retrieve hook documentation from cvs.drupal.org and store it locally.
32	When you want to update this documentation later on, return to the
33	settings page and click the "Update" button.
34	5. (Optional) Create custom function declaration template file(s) if you
35	don't like the default output.
36	6. (Optional) Create your own hook groupings if you don't like the
37	default ones.
38
39	USING THE MODULE
40	----------------
41	1. Click the "module_builder" link in the menu (note: you will require
42	'access module builder' privileges to see this link)
43	2. Enter a module name, description, and so on.
44	3. Select from one of the available hook groupings to automatically
45	select hook choices for you, or expand the fieldsets and choose
46	hooks individually.
47	4. Click the "Submit" button and watch your module's code generated
48	before your eyes! ;)
49	5. Copy and paste the code into a files called <your_module>.module,
50	<your_module>.info and <your_module>.install and save them to
51	a <your_module> directory under one of the modules directories.
52	6. Start customizing it to your needs; most of the tedious work is
53	already done for you! ;)
54
55	TODO/WISHLIST
56	-------------
57	* Maybe some nicer theming/swooshy boxes on hook descriptions or
58	something to make the form look nicer/less cluttered
59	* I would like to add the option to import help text from a Drupal.org
60	handbook page, to help encourage authors to write standardized
61	documentation in http://www.drupal.org/handbook/modules/
62
63	KNOWN ISSUES
64	------------
65	* Can't set default values in PHP 5 for some strange reason
66	* Fieldsets in Opera look mondo bizarr-o
67
68	CONTRIBUTORS
69	------------
70	* Owen Barton (grugnog2), Chad Phillips (hunmonk), and Chris Johnson
71	(chrisxj) for initial brainstorming stuff @ OSCMS in Vancouver
72	* Jeff Robbins for the nice mockup to work from and some great suggestions
73	* Karthik/Zen/\|gatsby\| for helping debug some hairy Forms API issues
74	* Steven Wittens and David Carrington for their nice JS checkbox magic
75	* jsloan for the excellent "automatically generate module file" feature
76	* Folks who have submitted bug reports and given encouragement, thank you
77	so much! :)