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Image – Media – File Uploading

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
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Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
Apr 27, 2009 · 1:15 am · Edited

This is one of those niggles that has been around for a long time and it is time to put it right. The current image uploader is, let's be honest, well past it's best before date. File and Media uploading is also one of the most requested features. Developing our own is one solution but it's not pretty.

Having searched for various options I found TinyBrowser which appears tp be exactly the sort of tool we want. I have plugged it in to the 4.1 development code so it can be tried out. NOTE: I have done N O CONFIGURATION for this as yet so it will ignore preferred upload folders and do it's own thing (in wp-content).

My problem – as always – is that I am currently unable to test it as it requires the GD php library which I do not yet have installed. (I really must try and get around to this. I just worry that it will trash my setup and installing php modules can so easily trash a setup!)

One possible advantage of using TinyBrowser – and I make NO promises here – is that it may be possible to also get it working with the other editors as, while it functions as a tinyMCE plugin it can also be used in standalone mode. But that remains to be seen.

First task is to try it out to see if we can use it.

13 Answers

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MP Mr Papa
Mr Papa
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Member since Dec 2006
19,448 posts
Apr 27, 2009 · 6:51 am

I will see what I can do, but certainly not before Tuesday…

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
Apr 27, 2009 · 12:54 pm

Just took the plung tonight and I now have upgraded my php AND have the GD library!

Hey!!!

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
Apr 28, 2009 · 5:46 am

As a part of testing out tinyBrowser, I have today also updated tinyMCE to the very latest version. All seems well.

Personally, I rather like the look of tinyBrowser. It has the advantage that it is also under active development. The version I have committed today is the current 'stable' release as I tried the latest beta but it has one or two issues to resolve.

TinyBrowser is geared up for uploads of images, media and files and rather neatly keeps these three groupings quite separate. There are a range of configuration options and the configuration file has proven to be easily codeable with our own settings so the join is seamless. As I said elsewhere, it may be possible to include it with the html/bbCode editors but no promises there as I have not investigated this yet.

  1. Media and file uploads are a continuous request and this plugin allows for that. If we are going down this route I suggest two new permissions to add to 'Can Uoload Images' – 'Can Upload Media' and 'Can Upload Files'.
  2. The new configuration gets updated to include two new locations for media and files.
  3. A new set of options be made available to allow the admin to decide what files types to allow in each grouping.
  4. Another possibility would also be to allow the admin to specify (optionally) that each user with permission to perform uploads has their own folder. I quite like the idea of individual users having their own area and everything not going into one, single, potentially big pool. TinyBrowser handles the folder creation.

PLEASE NOTE: I have made no changes to the tinyBrowser configuration options other than to ensure the location of images complies with the SPF location setting. I have also made no changes to the dialog CSS.

Thoughts and comments gents…

MP Mr Papa
Mr Papa
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Member since Dec 2006
19,448 posts
Apr 28, 2009 · 6:14 am

yes I think their own location is ideal..  we have gotten complaints that users should see what is already uploaded on the image side…  if they uploaded it, then it shouldnt be an issue if they see it…  this should be the out of the box default, I would think…  having one central location should be the option…

Do you want me to create the new permissions for you or have figured that part out?  I concur on the two new ones…

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
Apr 28, 2009 · 6:23 am

I'd like you to have a play with the browser/uploader first – make sure you are OK with it.

And if so then I would very much appreciate you doing the permissions bit….!

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
May 1, 2009 · 2:23 am

Let's discuss permissions. The ideal would be – as we already determined – to have three separate permissions for uploading. However, neither tinyMCE nor tinyBrowser agree woith us on this. As far as they are concerned it is a black and white yes/no to ALL uploading.

I think I can get around this easily (I believe) but it DOES mean making some minor mods to tinyMCE code to either display or not display the browser button.

The disadvantges of this are that we have to reapply that code everytine we move up to a new version of the editor. Can be done of course – it is a tad annoying but we do already do this with the UI CSS files.

The advantages are that we can tie down the individual permissions and we can, perhaps, supply a better graphic for the 'browse' button which a lot of people comletely miss.

Perferences? Although I will have to check it is possible if we go with it.

MP Mr Papa
Mr Papa
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Member since Dec 2006
19,448 posts
May 1, 2009 · 6:31 am

if its relatively simple, I say do it…  I can see a strong push for three distinct permissions…  can see where folks will want to allow images, but not media or other files… or cases where just not files…  a new icon would be great too if possible…

we dont update tinymce that often so shouldnt be too big a deal… just need to document where changes are…

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
May 2, 2009 · 2:51 am

As before then – could you create the new permissions for me and put that bit in place?

YS Yellow Swordfish
Yellow Swordfish
Member
Member since Nov 2008
16,437 posts
May 12, 2009 · 11:47 pm

tinyBrowser is now in place (on the RTE anyway) and personally I feel comfortable with it. Time to decide whether we are going wth this solution…

MP Mr Papa
Mr Papa
Member
Member since Dec 2006
19,448 posts
May 13, 2009 · 5:36 am

I say go with it… Can we add it to the other editors or is it tinymce only?