Dark Thoughts

After spending about a day and a half searching the internet for information on how to get category's to work in Typo3's Direct Mail module, I've finally worked it out.

This applies to Typo3 installations with Direct Mail 2.0.0 or higher and with Direct Mail Subscription 1.1.0

Categories are now stored in a database, rather than how they were previously. The categories themselves are still defined in the old way, and in my case I've got them in a system folder (the id is 54) which will help in deciephering all of the code that's coming up.

On backend pages where you want the categories list to appear you will need to put this in the Page TS Config window (you can find this by going to the Edit Page Properties on the page required.

TCEFORM.tt_content.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.tt_address.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.fe_users.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.sys_dmail_group.select_categories.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54

TCEFORM.tt_content.module_sys_dmail_category.disabled = 0
TCEFORM.tt_address.module_sys_dmail_category.disabled = 0
TCEFORM.fe_users.module_sys_dmail_category.disabled = 0
TCEFORM.sys_dmail_group.select_categories.disabled = 0

You will also need the line

config.insertDmailerBoundaries = 1

In the Direct Mail Folder, but in the TS Setup property. Installing the static template "Direct Mail Content Boundaries" though, should do this automatically for you.

I've got a bunch of other stuff in mine as well, that's working, so if you have this in, and it doesn't work, let me know, and I'll post the full stuff that's in mine.

For frontend pages where you want the subscriber information I've got this in my Page TS Config.

TCEFORM.tt_content.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.tt_address.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.fe_users.module_sys_dmail_category.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54
TCEFORM.sys_dmail_group.select_categories.PAGE_TSCONFIG_IDLIST = 54

plugin.feadmin.dmailsubscription.cObjects.CATLIST.pid = 54

I'm not sure if you need the first 4 lines, but the last one is important. It tells the page where to find the categories.

You need to get rid of whatever was in the TS Config box before, because it stops the new one from working properly.

You need to set a template (or at least a template extension) for this page that includes the Direct Mail Content Boundaries Static Template.

You will also need a new tmpl file. The old one simply won't work with the new categories. It will display on the page like it used to, and it will appear to work, but the front page categories won't line up with the new back end categories, and that's kinda the whole point.

To fix it, you will need to add in

[BR]

###CE_CATLIST###

[BR]
(replacing the [ and ] with the angled equivalents.

This will need to go in place of the existing category list (ie the bit that looked a bit like)


[br]
[b]Select Special Categories:[/b][BR]
[table]
[tr]
[td]###GW2B###Corporate###GW2E###[/td][td][input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address][module_sys_dmail_category][0]"][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]###GW2B###Technical###GW2E###[/td][td][input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address][module_sys_dmail_category][1]"][/td]

[/tr]
[tr]
[td]###GW2B###Announcements###GW2E###[/td][td][input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address][module_sys_dmail_category][2]"][/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

[BR]


There is a new template file included with the latest installations, that you can download from the Typo3 repository (go to http://typo3.org/extensions/repository/list/direct_mail_subscription//info/ext_typoscript_setup.txt/ and download the .tmpl file.)

Note that there is still an error in this new file, and that you'll need to edit this file to fix the Edit Profile links. It's still configured for the old module, not the new one. The simplest way is to search for "Edit profile" and put in the ###CE_CATLIST### entry instead of the Special Categories table.\

You'll probably want to edit the email templates near the bottom of this file as well, so that it is more suited your site (ie change the email subject and contents.)

Once you've made the changes you will need to upload the .tmpl file. This is done on the template page for the page where you want it (or wherever you have the direct mail subscription template setup). Browse and upload.

To change the email address and name that the email is sent from go to the template extension and set the constants in the Direct Mail Subscription section.

The Direct Mail Tutorial is still the easiest way to get this incredibly powerful mailing list running, though you'll need the information above for setting the categories, rather than the tutorial file. The manual is useful for the backend stuff, but tells you nothing about the frontend subscription.

The next thing to do is to tie all of this in with the tt_news plugin, but I might leave that for another day.

Hope this is helpful, and I hope this finds it's way sufficiently up the google list for it to be genuinely useful. If you have any comments, corrections, or questions, please add a comment.

Labels: Direct Mail, Typo3

Well, three acts I'm involved with have got their tunes in the running for Triple J's unearthed competition. Those are LD 120, LOST and The X Lander.

You can have a listen to the tunes, download them, review them and stuff like that below:

LD 120's Unearthed Page
LOST's Unearthed Page
X Lander's Unearthed Pgae

Have a listen to the tunes, and if you like them, please write a quick review to tell us so. I'm not sure exactly how the whole Triple J site works, but I'd say that the more listens you get, the more chance you have of getting your music out there, and we'd really like that, so get to clicking, downloading and all that stuff.

My favourite CSU song ever. Astral Travel

What a hectic few months it's been. Jode's and I got over to China, and back down to Adelaide to catch up with here Dad and Nanna, and little brother. It was great fun down there, though a little bit on the brisk side.

Back home, however there was trouble brewing. We arrived home to find that my sister had left her husband and taken up residence in our house.

Worse yet, she came with 3 children under 6.

Worse still, the said 3 children have a destructive force that is measured on the same magnitude as the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Our house is burried under about a foot of clothing, toys, lollies, paperwork and god knows what else. Some kind of wierd troll has moved into our fridge that seems intent on devouring all the good healthy stuff we put in there, and turning it into junk food. His twin brother has taken up residence in our pantry. Their destructive half brother has taken to breaking just about every kitchen utensil, drink bottle, plate, cup, glass that we own, or at least one piece from each set. Those wedding gifts have got a pretty short life expectancy.

The worst thing of all though is the 4 and a half year old that has some psycopathic phobia of the toilet and who instead likes to have shit running down her legs so she can deposit it from one end of the house to the other, crush it into the carpets and smear it on the walls.

We are none too happy about the situation, and unfortunately we seem to be the last house with the doors still open to her. She has at long last managed to find a rental property, but she's taking her own sweet time moving in there. We've been strongly hinting that it's a matter of urgency that she moves, even going so far as packing up all the clothes and furniture into boxes and leaving it beside the front door.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my sister to death, but our little 4 x 2 was never designed to hold 3 adults, 3 kids and a dog who thinks she's human. Not only that, but we don't really agree with the whole situation, so I'm sitting here biting my tongue, curled up in a ball, praying that the whole mess will just disappear in a puff of smoke.

My brother in law (who was one of my groomsmen, and a really good mate) really has copped the raw end of the stick with this one. While there has been some strain in the relationship, it's not really fair on my BIL that my sister has left the house to be with an old flame, while also looting the house of the furniture, and denying access to the kids in all but the most inopportune moments.

The kids are being used as a bit of leverage between the warring factions, and the stress is starting to show.

So here I am, stuck in a house with 6 women, 3 of whom are Leo's, 2 of which are welcome (and one of them is the dog), watching my sisters relationship crumble in the same way as the big bang did, trying to keep my house from being completely and utterly destroyed. Jode's is frustrated, the dog is scared and kinda skittish and the whole thing is doing my head in.

My sister on the other hand seems to delight in springing the unholy trinity on us at a moments notice as some kind of masochistic live in baby sitters while she's out with her boyfriend.

Fortunately I've managed to keep the keys to the studio hidden, and actually managed to get some new tunes finished in those brief moments that I manage to escape. Heck I've even done a few upgrades over the last couple of months.

Hopefully tonight our torment will end, as it's currently scheduled that the 4 of them will be sleeping at their new house tonight. Schedules seem to have a nasty habit of getting altered, but we've got a plan. The bed get's disassembled tonight, and the air mattress get's deflated. I'm not sure it we're being pushy or nasty here, but there's certainly something inhuman about the whole situation.

If you have any suggestions about how to deftly weave through the sea of ego's and fragile emotions without copping threats of death or castration from wife, sister, brother in law or future teenage girls, do leave me a comment. I need all the help I can get with this one.