ECI Even Easier
I’ve just run some tests on the Easy Project system after making some changes I’m sure you will all find interesting. The plugin now allows you to import data and create posts in a single event at the click of a button from the Start page. Configuration of your project is being handled by a group of new functions that automatically configure the project for you. You may have noticed the new panel on the Start page, well it now has far more functionality. It is no longer a beta!
I’ve just uploaded a CSV file, submitted it on the Create Project (easy) panel, clicked on the Create Posts button and I had 10 test posts! It is that simple. It is not 100% complete, it prepared by post design for me but not categories, tags, custom post types or custom fields. That will all come later, I think I will release a new version and let people test it as it is while I continue to work on it.
When this is complete, it will automatically decided what columns need to be used for just about everything. No matter what your CSV column titles are, it will establish what to do with them and my naming some columns specific titles. You will communicate with the plugin and trigger specific configurations to be applied i.e. naming a column of keywords “tags” will tell the plugin you do want your posts to have tags and that is the tags column. By naming a column “keywords”, the plugin cannot guess that you actually want tags, you may be creating your tags using an SEO plugin.
This is just an idea of what I’m working on now.
As I always promise, your purchase is an investment and what is coming should make it a lot more worth while.
Design
The automatic configuration includes the post template design. My system will eventually allow long term users to create a design that they apply to many blogs without having to mess around with the WYSIWYG editor. Until then, what the plugin does is uses a built in template. It replaces my tokens that I have placed in the template, with your own CSV file tokens. It then saves the design so that it is used just as if you created the design manually using the WYSIWYG editor.
In short, an automatically created post design based on a template that will eventually become more dynamic.
More Dynamic Design
I have ideas on how to make an automated design a little more advanced, so that it automatically fits more needs. The plugin can make more efforts to decide what you may want for your title and make separate decisions for your post content. Right now it is all one design, title and content come together. This is not my whole idea, I don’t want to give too much details, there seems to be developers copying many of my ideas.
What I need from users is to know what designs your creating, what tokens and text are you putting in your titles? This will help me establish the most common requirements and create template for them.