'My visitors all wanted something completely different. My clients wanted one type of site. My vendor contacts wanted another type of site. My customers wanted a third. labPanels allowed me to create three different homepages, one for each type of visitor. It's all the same site, but now everybody gets what they want!'
Initial Release Article posted December 2, 2003 [ on pnMods | TheBix ]
Re-release Article posted July 02, 2004 [ on pnMods ]
Download: here (registration and subscription req'd)
Forum: here
FAQ: here
I. Introduction
labPanels is a tool used to create pages in the PostNuke CMS that are comprised of Blocks. Many, if not most, PostNuke modules have associated blocks that are available, whether it is to display the most recent, most popular, or highest rated items, etc. While the screen real estate was previously limited to the use of left and (on the main page) right and center block areas, labPanels now allows the webmaster to stack rows of blocks to create homepages for related data.
labPanels takes the place of pnHomepage and BlockHome. Multiple 'homepages' or Panels can be created, categorized, themed, and all accessed from either the labPanels main page, or from homepage menu Blocks created with the apiFunction block.
labPanels was written for webmasters struggling under the load of too many blocks and not enough space to use them in. If you want to get the most use out of the great collection of blocks you've accumulated, labPanels is the answer.
In order to use labPanels, it must be installed on a web server that is running PHP4 and mySQL. Admin access to the website is required in order to complete the installation, activation, and configuration of labPanels.
Integration with the labCategories module is optional, but recommended for sites with a large number of panels.
II. Installation and Activation
- Unzip the labPanels module directory to your site's modules folder (./modules/labPanels/*.*).
- Go to your site's module adminarea(./index.php?module=Modules&type=admin) and click 'Regenerate'.
- Scroll down to the listing for labPanels and click 'Initialize'.
- Scroll down to the listing for labPanels and click 'Activate'.
III. Configuration
The configuration page for labPanels may be accessed through the labPanels link in the admin area, or via the Options link in the labPanels menu. This is where global settings for the module are set.
A title or other header text can be entered in that will display above the Panel list and in a Panel navigation Block. If this is blank, no header will display.
The default page displayed for labPanels is a menu list of all available Panels.
labPanels utilizes the labCategories module to handle panel types as categories. To make use of this feature, make sure that the labCategories module is installed properly and create a new root level category for labPanels with Panel Type sub-categories. Then proceed to the labPanels configuration page and select the category and update the settings. Afterwards, the categories will be available for selection in the panel modification form. The categories are for use in organizing page sets, by function, interest, or any other schema that is desired.
If you wish to add more panel types to the available list, you can type them into the new category field of the labPanels config area.
Some recommended panel types to use: Control Panel, Homepage, Adminpage, Intranet, and Extranet.
IV. Menu Options
The labPanels menu has several options available in it depending on what level of access you have.
- New Panel - Create a homepage based on available blocks that have been selected.
- View Panels - A list of all existing panels with options to edit and organize each.
- Settings - This link allows access to the labPanels configuration page.
V. Creating Your First Homepage 
Each homepage must first be created before any blocks can be assigned to them. Create a new panel to add your blocks to by selecting the appropriate option from the menu.
Each labPanel must have a title for the homepage being created.
The panel summary is displayed in the panel list using verbose mode.
The panel boilerplate is displayed above the blocks on the panel homepage. HTML content may be used, but may interfere with layout.
If labCategories is available and a panel type list is specified, that list will be available during account creation. If the desired category does not yet exist, it can be typed into the provided blank. The new category will be created beneath the labPanels master category.
If a homepage needs to display with a different theme, it can be selected in the panel create or modify forms. If Default is selected, the current site theme will be used, and the panel theme will change if the site default is changed.
VI. Panel Admin View
The admin panel view shows a list of all panels with options for editing, deleting, or organizing the blocks for each homepage. Additionally, the theme, category, and number of blocks are shown for each panel.
VII. Organizing A Panel
The panel organizer GUI will display all blocks for the homepage. If a block is returned empty on the homepage, no block will be displayed. In the organizer, an empty block will display the block module and blockname alone in a block.
Add blocks to the homepage by selecting them from the dropdown and clicking 'Add Panel Block'. The new block will then be displayed on a new row below any other blocks shown.
There are several options available for changing the position of a block, depending on it's existing position and that of the blocks around it. All blocks will have the option to remove them from the homepage. The first block listed may not be decremented, since it is already at the top. The last block cannot be incremented, since it is already at the bottom.
The recommended method for organizing blocks is to first add all desired blocks to the homepage. Once all blocks desired are shown, re-order them using the increment and decrement links for each, moving them towards either the bottom or top as needed.
Additional options for organizing blocks include changing the position based on the previous block shown. A block will initially display below the previous block, on it's own row. Clicking the 'inline' link for a block will place it on the same row as the previous block. Clicking on the 'below' link for a block will place it below the previous block, but not in a new row. Inline blocks that follow a 'below' block will appear in a new column on the same row.
