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Ideas

Add a "question" post format

  1. Andrés Sanhueza
    Member

    12345

    I think that by now the WordPress post formats aren't extensible by the users, so I suggest another one for consideration in the future. May be called "question" and is based on an answer of a given question. It is used by formspring.me and also used as an own post type by Tumblr, although not from the front end because they are created by answering actual internal messages sent though the site. Here's a possible implementation:

    1. A form on a WordPress page is used to submit the questions. The fields are much like the ones for comments: name, e-mail, URL and question. If one is logged on the site the first fields are auto-filled. This generally is deemed as plugin territory, but considering that the last version is adding some admin functions to the front-end, it should be something possible to do with the API. Not sure how to filter spam, though.
    2. Then, in the admin post view, all "questions" submitted appears as draft posts, with the "question" post format, with the question itself as the title and the name, e-mail, and url fields at some custom metabox
    3. One uses the "body" metabox to answer.

    This is kind of the ideal thing, but one may be able to use the "question" post format on the fly even if the question was not sent by anyone by any other form.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  2. ucfknight10
    Member

    12345

    this is easily doable with WP3's ability to add custom post types. i cant see this as being a builtin post type. if you need direction on how to do this, you can email me (view my profile).

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  3. Andrés Sanhueza
    Member

    12345

    I know, but the same is the case with any other post format, and (as the way it currently works now) can be done with a custom taxonomy too. By now the lists of post format is fixed because the idea is to create a convention with downloadable themes, so considering that I suggest adding it in a next version.

    The "form" I suggested was an example of an ideal use case, but the format as itself (without any additional form; one itself writes the question as in any other post format) I think is a must. formspring.me and Tumblr uses it, in the later is used along with all other post formats in the same loop and the site is pretty much the inspiration of the feature for begin with.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  4. ucfknight10
    Member

    12345

    for formspring, that is the site's purpose: to ask questions. WordPress is not that defined. doing what you want is easily doable, and not needed as a builtin post type. and theme's can add custom post types.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  5. Andrés Sanhueza
    Member

    12345

    Post formats are some kind of "intra-loop" styling for a post type. If one is using many post types, is much likely because they are going to be used in different sections, different loops and notable differences between custom fields. Post formats are an easy way to give separate styles for different posts of a same post type in a loop. I suggest this as an additional post format since for the moment these aren't supposed to be extensible by the user, because they are made to be an standard between themes. The particular functionality for summiting question may not be bundled, yet it may be easily pluggable and styling a post by making it look like a question and and answer is not any more complex than the current ones for 'video', 'quote' or 'status', specially considering that at the moment post formats don't change the post UI at all, but helps the themes to style the content appropriately.

    This is much like those buttons for uploading media at the top of the "content" metabox in the post panel. Technically, only one is needed, but by default 4 buttons exists (image, video, audio and other) and only the 'image' one has special features. Not sure if that's going to stay that way for much time, but that was made with the idea that since these are the most commons types of uploads, plugins can easily be plugged to these for adding additional functions, instead of adding too much proprietary additional audio and video buttons.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  6. ucfknight10
    Member

    12345

    i dont think i am completely understanding why you can't just create your own post type, and program it to function as you desire. i dont think there is any difference between 'post format' and 'post type'. if you want to style a post type a specific way, that is already easily done with a template redirect, or some extra lines in your css.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  7. Zane Matthew
    Inactive

    I think the confusion comes because post formats appear to be just a "flag", where yes you can "flag" custom styling with tags or categories or even in your template with some hackery.

    Those methods are not preferred though as they are driven by the database and can change at any time.

    Post formats give us themers a reliable way to target (style) specific posts.

    You can't say "make a question post format", because a question is more than just a wisywig box. This would be a custom post type and tied to custom taxonomies.

    For example:
    register_post_type('question');
    custom_taxonomies('topic');

    This would create create a post type called 'Question' in the menu bar with a custom taxonomy tied to it called 'topic'. Now 'topic' isn't the same as 'category' granted you can just as easily use 'tag' and 'category'.

    I've written a small plugin called TipType, which is: registers a post type, custom taxonomies and has widget support. It's very simple to write these kind of things using WordPress.
    http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tiptype/

    I can tell you a 'question' post format is a good idea, but can open up a box of worms as at my current employer will built such a thing, a "question and answer" custom cms.

    Posted: 9 years ago #

  8. Andrés Sanhueza
    Member

    12345

    I still stand for this to be a "post format". I'm aware that this kind of functionality should be better handled by custom post types and plugins, yet I just want a default format is set on the core. The specific functionality is led for developers.
    Tumblr does indeed consider this to be a "format" on its own, yet they call them "answer" posts. http://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/custom_themes

    Posted: 8 years ago #

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    This is not a core suggestion