Here’s a sample shortcode that can be used for Market that changes the number of entries displayed per page, sets the pagination to be displayed at the bottom of the list and hides both the anniversary and birthday fields.

[connections template='market' page_limit='32' pagination_position='after' show_birthday='FALSE' show_anniversary='FALSE']

Here’s a list of options that are currently available with their default settings. There are a lot of options to customize the template, but I think that they are all  pretty self explanatory.

• enable_search=TRUE
• enable_pagination=TRUE
• page_limit=20
• pagination_position=’before’
• enable_category_select=TRUE
• show_empty_categories=TRUE
• show_category_count=FALSE
• enable_category_by_root_parent=FALSE
• enable_map=TRUE
• enable_bio=TRUE
• enable_bio_head=TRUE
• enable_note=TRUE
• enable_note_head=TRUE
• enable_website_link=TRUE
• show_addresses=TRUE
• show_phone_numbers=TRUE
• show_email=TRUE
• show_im=TRUE
• show_social_media=TRUE
• show_birthday=TRUE
• show_anniversary=TRUE
• image=’logo’
• image_width=NULL
• image_height=NULL
• image_fallback=’block’
• tray_image=’photo’
• tray_image_width=NULL
• tray_image_height=NULL
• tray_image_fallback=’none’
• map_zoom=13
• map_frame_height=400
• card_width=440
• category_width=175
• str_select=’Show All Categories’
• str_image=’No Logo Available’
• str_tray_image=’No Photo Available’
• str_map_show=’Show Map’
• str_map_hide=’Close Map’
• str_bio_head=’Biography’
• str_bio_show=’Show Bio’
• str_bio_hide=’Close Bio’
• str_note_head=’Notes’
• str_note_show=’Show Notes’
• str_note_hide=’Close Notes’
• str_contact=’Contact’
• str_home_addr=’Home’
• str_work_addr=’Work’
• str_school_addr=’School’
• str_other_addr=’Other’
• str_home_phone=’Home Phone’
• str_home_fax=’Home Fax’
• str_cell_phone=’Cell Phone’
• str_work_phone=’Work Phone’
• str_work_fax=’Work Fax’
• str_personal_email=’Personal Email’
• str_work_email=’Work Email’
• str_visit_website=’Visit Website’
• name_format=’%prefix% %first% %middle% %last% %suffix%’
• contact_name_format=’%label%: %first% %last%’
• addr_format=’%label% %line1% %line2% %line3% %city%, %state% %zipcode% %country%’

Changelog:

= 2.0.4 1/15/2012 =
FEATURE: Added the ability to change the address labels via shortcode.
FEATURE: Add the ability to change the address layout via shortcode.
FEATURE: Add the ability to change the contact name layout via shortcode.
FEATURE: Add the ability to change the contact name label via shortcode.
OTHER: A few CSS tweaks to the bio and notes area.
OTHER: The image im the bio tray will now float right by default for a more balanced layout.

= 2.0.3 1/14/2012 =
BUG: Fix the enable_search shortcode option.
OTHER: A few CSS tweaks.

= 2.0.2 1/10/2012 =
OTHER: Fixed the email and phone labels filters so they would run.
OTHER: Added a couple styles to the .bio and .note classes to prevent themes to from styling those eareas oddly.

The big change from the preview post is that the shortcode option names have been changed, the “cmap_” prefix has been removed. It was a bit overkill and made all the option names too long. Here’s a sample shortcode that can be used for cMap that changes the number of entries displayed per page, sets the pagination to be displayed at the bottom of the list and hides both the anniversary and birthday fields.

[connections template='cmap' page_limit='32' pagination_position='after' show_birthday='FALSE' show_anniversary='FALSE']

Here’s a list of options that are currently available with their default settings. I’m way behind on writing all the documentation everything needs, but that will come. There are a lot of options to customize the template, but I think that they are all  pretty self explanatory.

• enable_search=TRUE
• enable_pagination=TRUE
• page_limit=20;
• pagination_position=’before’
• enable_category_select=TRUE
• show_empty_categories=TRUE
• show_category_count=FALSE
• category_select_position=’before’
• enable_category_by_root_parent=FALSE
• enable_map=TRUE
• enable_bio=TRUE
• enable_bio_head=TRUE
• enable_note=TRUE
• enable_note_head=TRUE
• enable_website_link=TRUE
• show_addresses=TRUE
• show_phone_numbers=TRUE
• show_email=TRUE
• show_im=TRUE
• show_social_media=TRUE
• show_birthday=TRUE
• show_anniversary=TRUE
• image=’logo’;
• image_width=NULL
• image_height=NULL
• image_fallback=’block’
• tray_image=’photo’
• tray_image_width=NULL
• tray_image_height=NULL
• tray_image_fallback=’none’
• map_frame_height=400
• str_select=’Select Category’
• str_select_all=’Show All Categories’
• str_image=’No Logo Available’
• str_tray_image=’No Photo Available’
• str_map_show=’Show Map’
• str_map_hide=’Close Map’
• str_bio_head=’Biography’
• str_bio_show=’Show Bio’
• str_bio_hide=’Close Bio’
• str_note_head=’Notes’
• str_note_show=’Show Notes’
• str_note_hide=’Close Notes’
• str_home_phone=’Home Phone’
• str_home_fax=’Home Fax’;
• str_cell_phone=’Cell Phone’
• str_work_phone=’Work Phone’
• str_work_fax=’Work Fax’
• str_personal_email=’Personal Email’
• str_work_email=’Work Email’
• str_visit_website=’Visit Website’
• name_format=’%prefix% %first% %middle% %last% %suffix%’

Probably the best feature is that all who have already purchased the template, this will be a free upgrade.

Search; pretty self explanatory.

The category drop down has received a major enhancement courtesy of the jQuery plugin Chosen. When the drop down is opened, a user can now search the categories rather than having to scroll through them to find the one they are looking for. It’s pretty neat, I’ve already become quite spoiled by this feature.

The pagination has been completely re-worked too. Currently, all the pages list in order, which is fine if you only have a few pages, but when you have 20+ pages, it becomes a mess, visually. The new layout mimics the style and functionality of the pagination used on the WordPress admin posts page. Definitely a lot less cluttered and nicer looking, while providing a familiar user experience.

Lastly, templates now can be programmed so they can hook into the Connections shortcode. Basically, what this means is that it is far easier to configure the template options. Currently, if you want to customize any of the template options, you have to locate and edit the functions.php file. And when you make changes, they are global, meaning every time you used the template, even on different pages, you have to use the same settings. Now, since cMap has been updated to hook into the Connections shortcode, you can set the template options from right within the shortcode. No more having to muck around with FTP and editing PHP code! Another great thing-now you can use cMap on different pages configured completely differently. Here’s a sample shortcode that can be used for cMap that changes the number of entries displayed per page, sets the pagination to be displayed at the bottom of the list and hides both the anniversary and birthday fields.

[connections template='cmap' cmap_page_limit='32' cmap_pagination_position='after' cmap_show_birthday='FALSE' cmap_show_anniversary='FALSE']

Here’s a list of options that are currently available with their default settings. This list will actually be expanded when the updated cMap template is released. As you see, templates are almost plugins on their own.

• cmap_enable_search = TRUE
• cmap_enable_pagination = TRUE
• cmap_page_limit = 20
• cmap_pagination_position = ‘before’
• cmap_enable_category_select = TRUE
• cmap_show_empty_categories = TRUE
• cmap_show_category_count = FALSE
• cmap_category_select_position = ‘before’
• cmap_enable_category_by_root_parent = FALSE
• cmap_enable_map = TRUE
• cmap_enable_bio = TRUE
• cmap_enable_bio_head = TRUE
• cmap_enable_note = TRUE
• cmap_enable_note_head = TRUE
• cmap_enable_website_link = TRUE
• cmap_show_addresses = TRUE
• cmap_show_phone_numbers = TRUE
• cmap_show_email = TRUE
• cmap_show_im = TRUE
• cmap_show_social_media = TRUE
• cmap_show_birthday = TRUE
• cmap_show_anniversary = TRUE
• cmap_map_type = ‘ROADMAP’
• cmap_map_zoom = 13
• cmap_map_frame_height = 400
• cmap_str_select = ‘Select Category’
• cmap_str_select_all = ‘Show All Categories’
• cmap_str_map_show = ‘Show Map’
• cmap_str_map_hide = ‘Close Map’
• cmap_str_bio_head = ‘Biography’
• cmap_str_bio_show = ‘Show Bio’
• cmap_str_bio_hide = ‘Close Bio’
• cmap_str_note_head = ‘Notes’
• cmap_str_note_show = ‘Show Notes’
• cmap_str_note_hide = ‘Close Notes’
• cmap_str_home_phone = ‘Home Phone’
• cmap_str_home_fax = ‘Home Fax’
• cmap_str_cell_phone = ‘Cell Phone’
• cmap_str_work_phone = ‘Work Phone’
• cmap_str_work_fax = ‘Work Fax’
• cmap_str_personal_email = ‘Personal Email’
• cmap_str_work_email = ‘Work Email’
• cmap_str_visit_website = ‘Visit Website’

In Connections, each entry can be set as an individual, organization or family and when displaying the list in the frontend, using the list_type  shortcode attribute, you can display all entry types [the default setting] or just one of them. By default these would display using the default template, unless you specified an alternate template using the template_name [deprecated] shortcode attribute. Now with this template manager you can specify which template should be used by default for each entry type list.

The upcoming_list shortcode, used to display upcoming anniversaries and birthdays, didn’t support the use of templates, but while I was at it I added template support which can also be managed with this new templates manager.

The template loader will now load external CSS files and JavaScript files for templates. The CSS is printed in the tag right before displaying the entry list. All browsers do support this even though it is not or rather was not valid markup. With HTML5 this is now valid as long as it is scoped, which the template loader will set automatically. If a template has a JavaScript file, it will be enqueued and printed in the page footer on only the pages where the Connection’s shortcodes are used. This will reduce possibility of conflicts by loading the JavaScript only when needed.

I haven’t asked them about their setup, but I’m fairly certain they are using the stock plug-in with two custom templates. One to show the band list and the other to show the band bio. How’d they link the two? I bet they have a base directory page listing all the bands with a subpage for each band details. That would require some manual maintenance, but what I have planned for the future will make a setup like this extremely simple and self maintaining.

I strive to make Connections as flexible as possible and I think this site exemplifies that!

connections_list template_name='card-tableformat'