Blocks for Django

By Jardar @ A2G Grafisk

Blocks for Django aims to give a centralized functionality layer for building easy to use "blocks/modules" for websited using Mezzanine.

Warning!

Does not function with later versions of Mezzanine

Requirements

1. Django
2. Mezzanine
3. Mezzanine - Pages

Installation

1. unpack mezzyblocks to your project folder
2. add mezzyblocks to your installed apps in settings.py
3. add mezzyblocks.middleware.BlocksTemplateContextMiddleware to your middleware in settings.py
4. do a manage.py syncdb

Usage

1. load block_tags in your template /* {% load block_tags %} */
2. use /* {% block_position "any_position" %} */ wherever in your template
3. in your admin panel, add a block position in the mezzyblocks app /* name of the position should reflect a block_position tag argument in your template */
4. create a new block, select the block's type and give it the position you want

Creating your own blocktypes

Blocktypes have 1 required file, in the 'mezzyblocks/blocktypes' folder. A block requires 1 function called 'block_context_processor' taking one argument that is the block object. 'block_context_processor' must return an html string, you can optionally make use of Django's template layer to render your block, import 'render_to_string' from 'django.template.loader'. Make use of it as you otherwise would at the end of a view function.

1. create a new python file in the 'mezzyblocks/blocktypes' folder ending with .py
2. import whatever modules you need for your block to do it's job at the top of the file
3. optionally 'from django.template.loader import render_to_string' if you want to use a template render for your block
4. create a function 'block_context_processor' and give it one argument, like so 'block_context_processor(block):'
5. at the end of the function, return any kind of string, /* This string could for example be html */

You are free to do any type of logic you need within this function, like getting whatever pages you want from the Mezzanine CMS and list links to them or display excerpts for that matter. What you do within the block is entirely up to you.

example

from django.template.loader import render_to_string

def block_context_processor(block):
	c = Context(
		{
			'title': "My First Block",
			'body': "This block is my very first block love"
		}
	)
	#Return an html string back to the Block Middleware
	html = render_to_string('random_image.html', c)
	return html

Block settings

As things are, block settings are available, if only a litle contrived. You need to define a 'block_settings' variable that is to be used, 'block_settings' must be a tuple of tuples. each inner tuple need three values, 1st the "machine name", 2nd is the "friendly name" and lastly comes the "standard value".

When you have defined your settings, you must then run a 'manage.py syncdb' to make it/them available to your blocks.

example

block_settings = (
	(
		'gallery', 'Gallery', "RandomGallery",
	),
)