Feature Proposal: Add TWikiDashboardAddOn to core distribution

Motivation

The TWikiDashboardAddOn is intended as a generic dashboard TWiki application, which site admins can use to create sexy looking dashboards.

The homes of the TWiki site and the TWiki documentation web should also have dashboards - for better usability, looks and educational purpose.

A picture is worth a thousand words:

Description and Documentation

The add-on defines several section that can be included to create a dashboard. Parameters specify the content of the dashboard:

• section="dashboard_start" -- start a dashboard
• section="banner" - dashboard banner
  • image="" -- banner image URL
  • title="" -- banner title
  • buttons="" -- banner buttons, format: label1: link1, label2: link2, ...
• section="box_start" -- start a box
  • title="" -- box title
• section="box_end" -- end a box
• section="dashboard_end" -- end a dashboard

Examples

Using INCLUDE Variable

%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="dashboard_start" }%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="banner"
 image="%PUBURL%/%SYSTEMWEB%/TWikiDashboardImages/marin-headlands.jpg"
 title="Dashboard for %WIKIUSERNAME%"
 buttons="Help: %SYSTEMWEB%.WebHome, Plugins: %SYSTEMWEB%.TWikiPlugins"
}%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_start" title="Box 1 title" }%
Box 1 content
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_end" }%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_start" title="Box 2 title" }%
Box 2 content
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_end" }%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_start" title="Box 3 title" }%
Box 3 content
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_end" }%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_start" title="Box 3 title" }%
Box 4 content
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="box_end" }%
%INCLUDE{ "TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="dashboard_end" }%

Using DASHBOARD Variable

%DASHBOARD{ section="dashboard_start" }%
%DASHBOARD{ section="banner"
 image="%PUBURL%/%SYSTEMWEB%/TWikiDashboardImages/marin-headlands.jpg"
 title="Dashboard for %WIKIUSERNAME%"
 buttons="Help: %SYSTEMWEB%.WebHome, Plugins: %SYSTEMWEB%.TWikiPlugins"
}%
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_start" title="Box 1 title" }%
Box 1 content
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_end" }%
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_start" title="Box 2 title" }%
Box 2 content
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_end" }%
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_start" title="Box 3 title" }%
Box 3 content
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_end" }%
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_start" title="Box 3 title" }%
Box 4 content
%DASHBOARD{ section="box_end" }%
%DASHBOARD{ section="dashboard_end" }%

Impact

Implementation

• Create TWikiDashboardAddOn topic, containing doc and dashboard app logic.
• Create TWikiDashboardImages topic, containing some sample banner images of size 1026 x 150 pixels.
• Create a TWikiPreferences setting called DASHBOARD, so that users can write
  %DASHBOARD{ section="banner" title="..." }% instead of
  %INCLUDE{ "%SYSTEMWEB.TWikiDashboardAddOn" section="banner" title="..." }%.
• Create a VarDASHBOARD variable doc topic.
• Add dashboard to Main.WebHome that ships with TWiki core by default.

Dashboard for Main.WebHome (TWiki Site Home)

Screenshot of implementation as of 2012-10-15:

Dashboard for TWiki.WebHome (TWiki Documentation)

Screenshot of implementation as of 2012-10-15:

-- Contributors: PeterThoeny - 2012-09-30

Discussion

I did some work with clients where I created hard-coded dashboards. This approach makes it generic and useful for all.

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-01

I like it!

-- VickiBrown - 2012-10-03

it will be handy

-- MichaelSevero - 2012-10-03

I enhanced the spec for more flexible usage: There are now several sections so that the actual box content can reside in the dashboard page.

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-03

I updated above screenshot with the latest version. Now with CSS shadow and rounded corners.

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-06

The first version of the plugin is now posted at TWikiDashboardAddOn. Enjoy!

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-07

This is now accepted based on 7 days feedback rule.

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-10

I added screenshots of the new dashboards in homes of Main and TWiki webs. Any feedback on how to further improve usability?

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-15

This feature is now done. Homes of Main web and TWiki web are turned into dashboards as well, which is tracked in TWikibug:Item6983.

-- PeterThoeny - 2012-10-16