[Plugin: Posts 2 Posts] More than one related post

The API functions support this already.

The UI just needs to be enhanced.

Hi scribu, this is really good plugin and i already use it on one of my websites…

But do you have idea when will you implement this feature ? Or should i implement it by myself (still thinking what solution would be best if there would be a lot of posts…).

Thanks

Help is always welcome…

I’m thinking something like this:

Each connection type has it’s own box.

First you have a “Connect another post” button. When the user clicks it, a lightbox opens, similar to the one you get when you click “Attach to” on an unattached media file.

The already connected posts are listed under that, with an X button to disconnect each one.

That sounds like a really nice way to do it. Very elegant.

One suggestion, scenario:
Movies post type is connected to actors post type.

Your plugin sets it so that when on the movies admin page, I can connect to an existing actor, or actors via the lightbox.

However if the actor does not yet exist, the admin would have to leave the movie input page, and go create the actor first, and then return to add the movie. Not very user-friendly and confusing to new users.

Is it possible in your lightbox popup, to have it where if the actor does not exist, we can add an actor post_type with metafields while on the movies admin page?

i.e.
select actor/actors or create new actor post_type in lightbox.

I think I’ve mentioned this a few times already. Just trying to find the most user-friendly way of doing this. By not forcing the admin to leave the movie’s page to add an actor first, really streamline the process of adding movies.

I’m guessing that all the needed functions and parameters would be present on the movies admin page, because you know what post type is linked via the lightbox. Would be a matter of dynamically adding the metafields belonging to actors in the lightbox.

I guess you could have two tabs in the lightbox:

Search for {post_type} | Add new {post_type}

Exactly. I think that would be a great idea, so long as ‘add new {post_type} is able to be accomplished on the same page, that would be perfect. ??

I guess you could have two tabs in the lightbox:

Search for {post_type} | Add new {post_type}

Is there any updated news on this new feature?

Pretty much the only holdbacks I have from going live are this ability, and the trac ticket I have for sorting via post_type + taxonomy.

Other than that, everything has come together beautifully. I couldn’t be more happy with the results and the power that 3.0 + this plugin has given me.

I will not be able to work on it this week.

You should hire somebody else to code it for you, as the post creation tab in the plugin probably won’t contain all the fields that you need anyway.

Thanks for the info. I’ll put the word out and see if I can’t find a developer to finish this plugin. It’s to cool not to finish.

I did try modifying the dev version to allow for separate ‘connection’ boxes for each linked post. I ended up getting stuck in the ‘for each ($connections as $connection) type of logic.

Were you able to get the plugin to the point of separate connection blocks for each related post connection?

The development version is the latest version, so… good luck.

Is there no way to do this with pre-existing WordPress functions?

Yes, there is: the plugin uses the add_post_meta() family of functions internally to manage connections. The benefit is that the wrapper functions are easier to work with.

Plus, you need custom code for the UI anyway.

For selecting multiple connected posts, I think the “Posts” metabox from the new Menu system could be used pretty much as-is.

2all: I’ve just sent modified version of plugin with multiple related posts support to scribu.

Hopefully he will like it and release it soon ;).

Yep, already landed in the development version (0.2-alpha2). ??