GetResources is the problem, not a solution!

[modxbot]

mw11 created Redmine issue ID 3744

ISSUE A lllllllllllllllllllllllll Issue A is the documentation/document (at http://rtfm.modx.com/display/ADDON/getResources#getResources-Examples).

1. First off, it's not documentation, but one page of one inferior document.
2. Two, it furnishes little or no how-to info on how to use GetResources (GR).
3. Three, it's cryptic/terse, almost as if the author or authors of that document were trying to HIDE ALL of the "how-to" information that is needed(!) for the successful usage of GR.
4. Four, you can tell, the authors are not tech writers, have never been tech writers, and they couldn't write a technical document -- even if their lives dependent on it!

ISSUE B lllllllllllllllllllllllll Issue B is the GetResources code. It's so buggy that it's utterly and completely useless. Do you want any specifics? Okay, let's go through the steps that many users have gone through before me:

Step 1: You install GR. And GR does install successfully. However, this is to the credit of developers of MODx, not those of GR!

Step 2: You go to the above-mentioned document, and grab the first example from that document and put it on one of your pages/resources. The first example is: @[[!getResources? &parents=[[*id]] &tpl=myRowTpl]]@. All right. Done. Now, what's the outcome? Nothing! No output! Even if you replace @[[*id]]@ with a whole number like 5, it's still no use because GR doesn't do what YOU want. Instead of doing something useful and desirable, GR just outputs a useless, crappy, undesirable and long array listing of resources and their fields. See? This is what I've been trying to tell you! The GetResources software is a problem software! Just what you want!

Step 3: Again, you go to the above-mentioned document, and grab the 2nd example from that document and put it on one of your pages/resources. The 2nd example is: @[[!getResources? &parents=5 &resources=-10 &tpl=myRowTpl]]@. All right. Done. Now, what's the outcome? Nothing! No output! Even if you replace @[[*id]]@ with a whole number like 5, it's still no use because GR doesn't do what YOU want. Instead of doing something useful and desirable, GR just outputs a useless, crappy, undesirable and long array listing of resources and their fields. See? This is what I've been trying to tell you! The GetResources software is a problem software! Just what you want!

Step 4: Again, you go to the above-mentioned document, and grab the 3rd example from that document and put it on one of your pages/resources. The 3rd example is: @[[!getResources? &parents=5 &limit=5 &tpl=blogPost &includeContent=1]]@. All right. Done. Now, what's the outcome? Nothing! No output! Even if you replace @[[*id]]@ with a whole number like 5, it's still no use because GR doesn't do what YOU want. Instead of doing something useful and desirable, GR just outputs a useless, crappy, undesirable and long array listing of resources and their fields. See? This is what I've been trying to tell you! The GetResources software is a problem software! Just what you want!

Step 5: Again, you go to the above-mentioned document, and grab the 4th example from that document and put it on one of your pages/resources. The 4th example is: @[[!getResources? &parents=[[*id]] &where={"template:=":8} &tpl=myRowTpl]]@. All right. Done. Now, what's the outcome? Nothing! No output! Even if you replace @[[*id]]@ with a whole number like 5, it's still no use because GR doesn't do what YOU want. Instead of doing something useful and desirable, GR just outputs a useless, crappy, undesirable and long array listing of resources and their fields. See? This is what I've been trying to tell you! The GetResources software is a problem software! Just what you want!

And on and on we go, forever and ever!

It's lots of fun! All the fun you can have with your boots on!

I'm just trying to demonstrate how "great" the GR software is!

Good luck, users! Download and enjoy! It will be fun! Read "enjoy" as "suffer"! And read "fun" as "pain in the back"!

Note 1: Even if your template is myRowTpl (as in &tpl=myRowTpl), it makes no difference! Nothing changes! No, it is not different!

Note 2: Suggesting that we, users, use GR over Ditto doesn't help, because it makes the impression that GR is recommended, and it shouldn't be!

Note 3: Don't even try the "forum", unless you want to waste MORE of your time! I've spent 96 hours in the forum, and no one was able to help! Other users were/are in the same boat!

[gerritvanaaken]

gerritvanaaken submitted:

I’m successfully using getResources for a lot of listings on my website. None of your points seem valid to me.

GR is a bit limited in comparison to Ditto, but that’s about it – no need for harsh words here.

I’m not a very technical person, but usually I do understand what’s written on rtfm.modx.com

[splittingred]

splittingred submitted:

If you have problems with getResources, please file them here:

http://github.com/opengeek/getResources/issues/

This bugtracker is for MODX Revolution core issues only.

[modxbot]

mw11 submitted:

I’m successfully using getResources for a lot of listings on my website. None of your points seem valid to me.

You're saying in effect, let's sweep the dirt under the carpet! Let's pretend there's nothing wrong! Then everyone benefits, EXCEPT FOR THE THOUSANDS OF USERS!

Of course it's not okay to do so!

You're claiming you're one of those rare and unusual persons who was able to tweak the code. However, even if you did - which I doubt, unless you prove it - and even then, it doesn't mean everyone else could do the same! Especially not the thousands and thousands of absolute beginners! And if you've got 10 web sites, you're definitely not an absolute beginner! So why did we ask you for your opinion?

GR is a bit limited in comparison to Ditto, but that’s about it – no need for harsh words here.

Irrelevant! What are you talking about? This is a bug report, and NOT a dissertation on the differences between Ditto and GR!

I’m not a very technical person, but usually I do understand what’s written on rtfm.modx.com

Again, irrelevant. You made a GENERAL statement here. I was specific, I talked about GR, and and you talked about rtfm.modx.com! NOT the same!

Why did we ask you in the first place? Is this "sweep the dirt under the carpet" in the interest of the general public? Of course not!

[modxbot]

mw11 submitted:

Status changed from Open to Closed Resolution set to Invalid

Fantastic! Just what we need! You write a bug report, and it's swept under the rug, by one person who has got more power than the combined power of THOUSAND and THOUSANDS of end users!

If you have problems with getResources, please file them here: http://github.com/opengeek/getResources/issues/ This bugtracker is for MODX Revolution core issues only.

Here you go again! You're trying to give me the runaround! The TRUTH is, page http://bugs.modx.com/projects/website-extras/issues?set_filter=1&tracker_id=1" is for reporting bugs that are about the "extras website"! And this is about one of the extras! It's not true that this page is about reporting core issues of MODx Revolution core issues!

In general, what a lousy response! And they give you all this power..... to make poor calls like this? In truth, this is like a mini-dictatorship where it makes no difference what anyone thinks or proposes! If the dictator/emperor/supreme ruler thinks otherwise, then LET THE PUBLIC SUFFER, the one who proposes or writes an opinion has no chance!

It's important to constantly grow the community and let the world know just how great MODx really is.

Sure it is "great" -- great, as in "great dictatorship"!

And we need your help!

Really? Need my help to help you feel like you're the dictator?

The following are some ways you can help spread MODx and build a better MODx ecosystem.

As to building a better MODx, why should I or anyone spread the word, if ALL we're getting is a well-organized opposition? Where if the dictator/emperor/supreme ruler thinks otherwise, then LET THE PUBLIC SUFFER! The one who proposes or writes an opinion has no chance to succeed!

[modxbot]

mw11 submitted:

P.S.: Mike Williams is a full-time Software QA/Verification & Validation Engineer with 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 Public Corporations.

[modxbot]

rethrash submitted:

Mike, it doesn't seem like MODX is honestly a good fit for you. We wish we could run the project in the way that makes sense to you, but after six years of doing this on a volunteer basis we've got a way that works for us and the majority of the users and core team. Nothing is perfect and nothing will please everyone but we do our best, and hope that one day you will realize it's no where close to a dictatorship and we have the best interest of the entire community in mind. We need people to help on the documentation front, which we've never claimed to be adept at, but unfortunately we cannot afford to pay full a time documentation team right now.

[modxbot]

rethrash submitted:

P.S.: Ryan Thrash sometimes too refers to himself in the third person.

[modxbot]

enigmatic_user submitted:

Well, Mike, maybe you just need a holiday. ;) Otherwise it's inexplicable that "a full-time Software QA/Verification & Validation Engineer with 30 years of experience" isn't able to understand the documentation - although it's probably not perfect.

I guess you should make yourself familiar with the basic principles of MODx. Then try to read the getResources documentation again, this time carefully. It's all there:

bq. tpl - Name of a chunk serving as a resource template. If not provided, properties are dumped to output for each resource

Well, this is what you're complaining about, but it's described there, black on white. Since you're using MODx, I suspect that you know what a chunk is. And it's quite logical that it's not enough to name a chunk here - the chunk has to exist, too, of course. Within the chunk, you can use placeholders. This, too, can be found in the getResources documentation:

bq. In the Tpl chunk you use to display the getResources output, use a placeholder tag like this (but with the name of your TV):

[[+tv.my_tv]]

It didn't work for you because you didn't read carefully enough? Well, blame yourself for it, not the (quite small) MODx core team that is working very hard to develop MODx Revolution, MODx Evolution, extras and documentation and to help users in the forum. And your tone is unworthy of discussion. It's not always other people's fault when you're frustrated...

bq. You're claiming you're one of those rare and unusual persons who was able to tweak the code. However, even if you did - which I doubt, unless you prove it - and even then, it doesn't mean everyone else could do the same! Especially not the thousands and thousands of absolute beginners!

Hm, didn't you say you're "a full-time Software QA/Verification & Validation Engineer with 30 years of experience", not a beginner? I'm one of these "rare and unusual persons", too, and no, I won't prove it - why should I? I guess I'm at least as trustworthy as you are. The getResources documentation is really not so hard to understand, and if you need help, why don't you ask politely in the forums? There are many friendly people who are willing to help, including the core developers. After reading your rants, the willingness to help you is not worth mentioning any more...

To say it absolutely unambiguously: The problem you described here is not based on a bug in getResources, you just didn't understand how it works. So of course your "bug report" is invalid and was closed. What else could be done?

bq. The TRUTH is, page http://bugs.modx.com/projects/website-extras/issues?set_filter=1&tracker_id=1" is for reporting bugs that are about the "extras website"! And this is about one of the extras!

Well, don't "extras website" and "extras" sound quite different for you? The URL is for reporting bugs in the website, not in the extras that are listed there. Again: Read carefully!

bq. It's not true that this page is about reporting core issues of MODx Revolution core issues!

LOL! :D

I guess Ryan is right - you should choose another CMS. MODx is extremely powerful and flexible, but it's not an application the possibilities of which can be fully exhausted after having occupied oneself with it for just 15 minutes. Maybe other scripts are easier to understand.

Cheers, Jan