Textpattern CMS has the capability to have its functions extended by applying plugins. These plugins are typically made available for download and are applied to Textpattern via the administration panel. In this post, I’m going to show you how to install and use a Textpattern plugin.
The plugin I’m using is called rah_replace and it was written by Jukka Svahn, one of the core Textpattern developers. This plugin is an excellent example of not including functionality in the core code because only some users will need it, and keeping the core code efficient is important. A plugin typically presents itself to the administrator as plain text. The current version of rah_replace looks like this:
# Name: rah_replace v0.4.2 # Search and replace # Author: Jukka Svahn # URL: http://rahforum.biz # Recommended load order: 5 # ..................................................................... # This is a plugin for Textpattern - http://textpattern.com/ # To install: textpattern > admin > plugins # Paste the following text into the "Install plugin" box: # ..................................................................... H4sIAAAAAAAAA51Xa2/cthL9vPoVY8GAH1CkfTmp1Tpdxy1SXzQXRpzerwuuxJVYS6RKUd64 Tf57Z0hJK683hnMNxLFG8zhz5kGKxZN5/E8dz2NfspL7P9bxZBL7muVLzauCJVb0Jvbvua6F kvR0FvvjcB5O6e/Xsc8akyvdWf6nubtjcHvPcqs7GXcKy0YLKzmP/dyYKo4ijLJWuinDlfi7 s095nWhRmTbW5IfYv+VMJzkwmcIAEyLOeVHRnxijlSQqtS9fn6Mrz4tOTz04hY/bbKAqmkxI wLjwiX82FTOGawlXH25DVCXthcMLMEjFylNmOODPdDw+f2UlhUi4rDm8/+8f8P7m9/tpK5V3 pLcny8iFr6MBwW3YK1U9aJHlBo6vTjDGZDYEsM8ZWf3uEKTQyJRrB4RLzQq4aVYIr1OAtn5g IbbONptNmMkmVDqL2lTqKKuKV9NwHOamLFA38rzRupEJFQQGqI8Pkbk6gEOTC5nBBRwdnXij f7zRCFnVLDHHxSUqHDOt2cMxikdHa63KI7A/F29RP7BSo1rZI2nKC1EKLM2RlQZWfILhKOrJ yY+IaiTWcHzYK8LBRQvCohgdUjjExT9XBXbFQBO90DvnxHqpja5UfXxoFL7r9U6syzUrak5e ndsRKn3Lq1HoE1W+evQPf2luGmwudL+ljUJb3QAqpmuUWAYpp9HXto3NQ+VGESetnTilsb6t 7KyVrQuW1UM9HBZjmzq5G8zFBFVZUajNkmq6dFMj4rEzoMelZhvSnM2nNJ2TcFhpz6tC8G+0 +pMnBjFn3I9f2NrwBQ0RDMtEbZxVjWZVJ7Kd5564Ndw1/rQRNJ99QOOew0SVUabwNym9F+a3 ZrV1nwmTN6utzq7T26aqlDZgofeuXSJmuxOsg3vBN0ZVIgmrvPpZpBez8Xz+hrz8oiTug/1U pPZdtEviJRghHzCrbZDenmZxJ3i3q0zODLhWqiFR0jAhceLpLy4NICW4HIsCarsn8Y1KkkZr LhNedxszdWqZuOeyk5VoXYfwKRc1iJSjiwfYKH2HTxSUQ40nApRMSpwuVsPNbzdHNfiDbu7R Izmh5CZC5YYVEZdRtzNCVH/VqhOH0L0IYNV04DHSmtsFnxScyUeb2fASjXHzFkxmDTYKGJaF npdPQ3jHapHUlttPebfbg2HzBpiL0SptiAsGkm96BjU5ApzmQTTMj2ZSssJ5JI2O+Y1mVbWP 97XC5fudpF9a17XrxBrKpjCiKvj+Gg5OPmfueaskhJ/M5yoe9jatlgv/nhUNnwRg/58GEIah j2nuf/HWG912IdvEvJ+iHcdvHdvXsjaYLy4ry/gfNS1+/0qVuDsHM5pxk7Qymu/YgT2EXljl TGM+fzVCc9gZehcJTw4tsD34trZEl6AS9uULYLHLwFvKaTshCNdYxlAKT7NaBJZZ1geztwJB i4G2ZWhjnxKpp94t6sisdrO4EVj11aBYgwK1NV8Ytdh6xraypGPhbzlufWrnvuTuTTcJyFLJ 4BiBLPqjZQF4SCU59j9PT0LvF75maBzDwhXcX8CvnxlOCUeRn6osSJgJctXU3F+4JIw69T4O OuhxHg1dIHAQuj6yfvfDv9oH7wSZcFmlhLTLbIiU+u8xzjoXFYIseYBQOpy9T2ScW5gctie8 xYm7qcOHrFueEXr9DVpDaDF0zYPwh7h65xd+8BjfF8JEzdjKsBXzWQgti+RsiVQvu7otkfPl s3OJ2m4OUZPm7sMD3i3ulcbomIoo8c5mMaJeuHcGK4pudxHi+5Y1Og8Xj6BuKZGcp0XXaqlY r7mmRTZcLc9mYFsqoAb7IO64S2alsNfWWnCZBhux5pTZNRS48qhSDKyNi1g+UG62bGT/giSH jihQ78cFtK4o6MsyZqAkH2b7bLIEMUhZ6tK8dnlptCtX2IqbHFc6vu2zQT5TyBT14lrUdKN7 UX6PHV5bd9d7fLUJup3LBsXrG9i6focUt/3O8Kbhlgn2hdHcTiezDdYPlD1x8byVyvR7gFQS g6e4myDcvopebFfTIsCBZ+40JXYBlwEb0hrAg2rwJtEUKeQM64d5uO21M880t7gA3BcEx2t2 iJ8rSKVdw3TY4OlHSoy+XoxIENOK6fjZsoVfAlexAx8Gw/2F6ncZwLsArl5QmMsDeHcAVwft Criy6AuVuSr8r/2Wsl/B8Mp+rEXjs2j8xvNO7WnVHYrQXm6JQbw6DS54kXCnaXdwPnMv3mtl a/fIYaHw1v9/+QqfpjXp05pH0zNK64OQWBZ3P2uqECUfOT50LbO9CHQ5f+99/ykKh2GKvEaT KWG44Rp7o7R9oSqDxf2b2UvmrunMmU4s/O8zdQUdn5Pp5DWZXqYpJWkvj/2ZODw7Fk+cTJ44 uZbCCGxg7UgL7edW7Jep/ZibTWP/fPoDm/H5azaen42TdDaens1Yspokq+kcpaj39V82bobE RhEAAA==
This block of text allows straightforward copy and pasting into the browser. When the code above is applied to the administration panel, it is decoded into Textpattern-readable PHP code.
In the Textpattern administration panel, go to Admin, then Plugins. You will be presented with an empty text box. Paste the code into the text box and click Upload. Next, you’ll see how the block of text is decoded into PHP. Click OK to confirm. The plugin is now installed, but not enabled. You will be taken back to the Plugin sub-tab and have the option to enable and edit the plugin, see who wrote it, and get help. The logic behind the decision to not enable a plugin instantly on it being installed is that changes may need to be made prior to enabling; for example, a language string might need localising.
Click No to enable it. This may seem counter-intuitive, but you’re toggling the No to a Yes. To disable it, click Yes. When the plugin is enabled, you can start to use it.
A plugin may bring with it new Textpattern tags. In the case of rah_replace, it introduces this container tag:
<txp:rah_replace>
Note the ‘txp’ to identify it as a Textpattern tag, and also the three characters before the underscore which identify Jukka as the author. Essentially, rah_replace works by searching for provided strings and replacing them with other provided strings. Here’s a rudimentary example:
<txp:rah_replace from="cat" to="dog"> The cat sat on the mat. </txp:rah_replace>
Textpattern will parse the code above and replace instances of cat with dog, ultimately outputting the following:
The dog sat on the mat.
You can take this further. Here’s another example:
<txp:rah_replace from="cat,mat" to="dog,box"> The cat sat on the mat. </txp:rah_replace>
Instances of cat will be replaced by dog, instances of mat will be replaced by box, like this:
The dog sat on the box.
Because the tag is a container, other tags may be used in place of the text in the example above. It’s possible to get a bit crazy with tags, perhaps having a single tag wrapped inside a container, which in turn is wrapped inside another container. The sky’s the limit!
Each plugin provides help by way of examples, usually with an accompanying website. Additionally, each plugin usually has a forum thread on the Textpattern forums for specific questions and troubleshooting.
This is a short overview of how a Textpattern plugin can be installed and used. I will cover more advanced techniques in future articles. I hope you’ve found this article useful or helpful, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
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