devot:eeDevoted to ExpressionEngine

Show Your Custom Field Formatting List Who’s Boss

February 2, 2009
by Tim Kelty

Edit (June 3, 2009): Since this article was written, Stephen Lewis of Experience Internet has written an extension called SL Field Formatting that solves the problem posed in this article. SL Field Formatting allows you to specify the default list of formatting options that will appear for all new weblog fields – including formats such as Textile, Markdown, and MarkyPants.

When EE sites grow, it can mean managing a lot of custom fields. I find this to be one of the most tedious parts of EE development, so when things come along like Brandon Kelly’s Gypsy, I’m all about it. Anything to make that process a bit more manageable.

I like to use Textile, a LOT. This means I’m very accustomed to publishing a new field, editing that field, editing the publish list, adding textile, then updating the field again. See what I mean? Tedious!

Today I got sick enough of it to poke around in system/cp/cp.publish_ad.php to see what’s doin’. I wanted Textile included by default. Turns out, the solution was quite simple. Now clearly this is a hack, so you know what that means. Tread softly, soldier.

First look for this block (approximately line 8043 of cp.publish_ad.php in ExpressionEngine 1.6.7):

{
$menulink  = '';
$typemenu .= $DSP->input_select_option('none', $LANG->line('none'), '')
      .$DSP->input_select_option('br', $LANG->line('auto_br'), '')
      .$DSP->input_select_option('xhtml', $LANG->line('xhtml'), 1);
}

Add a new line for the type of formatting you want to be included by default. First is the value, then the display text (note the period at the beginning of the line). For example:

.$DSP->input_select_option('textile', 'Textile', '')

Textile will now be included in default drop-down set when publishing a field. It should look like this:

{
$menulink  = '';
$typemenu .= $DSP->input_select_option('none', $LANG->line('none'), '')
      .$DSP->input_select_option('br', $LANG->line('auto_br'), '')
      .$DSP->input_select_option('textile', 'Textile', '')
      .$DSP->input_select_option('xhtml', $LANG->line('xhtml'), 1);
}

If you make it the last item in your list, remember the semi-colon, which follows the last item in the list.

Next look for (approximately line 8476 of cp.publish_ad.php in ExpressionEngine 1.6.7):

foreach (array('none', 'br', 'xhtml') as $val)
{
  $DB->query("INSERT INTO exp_field_formatting (field_id, field_fmt) VALUES ('$insert_id', '$val')");    
}

…And add textile to the array. This will add a row in the exp_field_formatting table for textile as well as the others. That will look like:

foreach (array('none', 'br', 'Textile', 'xhtml') as $val)
{
  $DB->query("INSERT INTO exp_field_formatting (field_id, field_fmt) VALUES ('$insert_id', '$val')");    
}

That’s it, you’re done. The same should work for any other field formatting you want to include by default. And don’t forget that you need to have the correct plugin installed for any field formatting type you’re including.

Go get em!