Re: [collective-cmfmember] Title default to fullname: cmfmember need FileAs functionality

[Rob M. <ra...@bu...>]

On Feb 25, 2005, at 3:49 PM, Jeff Kowalczyk wrote:

> I saw the updates to CVS to make title default to fullname, then 
> fallback
> to id. I am concerned that every organization and user will bring their
> own interpretation of 'Title' as applies to their members. It is almost
> certain that business users will try to fit the person's job title into
> that field.

i also have the same concern.  our short-term solution is to hide the 
title field from the view and edit templates by means of the associated 
widget's 'visible' dictionary.

> We might forgo many CMFMember integration opportunities if there is 
> not a
> standard meaning assigned to the title field. I submit that it should 
> keep
> its 'Title' label (for CMF/Plone compatibility), but be designated and
> documented as equivalent to 'File As', and very clearly differentiated
> from job title meaning in the UI.

i'm of the opinion that no amount of UI specification or documentation 
will suffice to prevent confusion if the label on the field is 'Title'.

> I think that's the right way to look at it, since a CMFMember instance 
> is
> supposed to remain a content type, participating in a content system.
> Title should be the one line of text you see when viewing a sorted or
> grouped list of other content items related by common type or query.

the title field already has a specific role within the plone UI, which 
is similar to what you describe here but is more general, i.e. it is 
ALWAYS used, not only when in a sorted or grouped list.

> Recognizing that there will be many organizational differences for what
> 'File As' should mean, I'd like to suggest that there be some standard 
> way
> to customize the computed value of this default. A 'fileAs()' method 
> would
> give a stock implementation, and a known method to override in derived
> CMFMember classes.

i'm open to the idea of some standard fileAs behaviour similar to what 
you describe here, but not in 1.0.  we're past the point of adding any 
new features to that release.

> In Outlook (and Evolution), the 'File As' field gives you stock 
> choices as
> shown below. In CMFMember, the default title format could be a portal
> configlet, with settings per installed CMFMember type.
>
>     Name:      Tom Tester
>     Job Title: Wage Slave
>     Company:   Acme Corp
>
>     File As:
>       Tester, Tom
>       Tom Tester
>       Acme Corp
>       Tester, Tom (Acme Corp)
>       Acme Corp (Tom Tester)
>
> Alphabetizing the title is also an issue with large installations. I've
> seen this first hand in DotNetNuke, a portal that the organizational
> user-administrators like very much, except that the user and group
> management interface is userid-centric. They very loudly complain that 
> it
> is not organized by Lastname, Firstname ordering. Beware the
> user-administrator!
>
> - fileAs() would provide the default value for Title.
>
> - fileAs() would read a configured format from a portal configlet. (I'd
> recommend 'Lastname, Firstname' as the default choice)

this is an interesting default, considering that we don't HAVE either a 
lastname or a firstname field by default at this point.  our default 
field set will remain plone's default set of member properties.

> - The configlet should list all installed CMFMember types. All types
> would get their fileAS default from the master setting if left blank, 
> but
> can customize their own setting if needed.
>
> - The configlet could possibly have an add-edit interface for formats,
> perhaps a string value containing a TALES expression? With an API for
> add-edit during Product install, of course.
>
> - Perhaps the configlet could have an ordered folder of the available
> formats, for configuration of the order of fallbacks, proceeding down 
> the
> list until one validates.

these are interesting ideas.  feel like coding?  ;-)

-r