Jump to content
  • Checkout
  • Login
  • Get in touch

osCommerce

The e-commerce.

FAQDesk -- underdevelopment


moyashi

Recommended Posts

Ok, folks. Not being satisfied with the contribs that I tried I decieded to take NewsDesk and turn parts of into a FAQ machine :D

 

Why? NewsDesk kicks butt ....

hehe .. well, yeah, but ... it wasn't designed to be FAQ engine but rather a News Script used for publishing announcements, press releases, and such ... not a blog, not a "full" content manger system either. *nukes do much better at that.

 

Anyway, I need FAQ abilities for a client and thought I might as well as release it here too.

 

So, since I'm in the middle of changing all kinds of things any "FAQ" related requests/complaints that you would like to see addressed?

 

@NewsDesk

Don't worry, NewsDesk will be updated as usual. I'm hoping that each will go hand in hand and create a better end user experience.

 

Cheers and looking forward to your comments.

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Categories for the FAQ's , Split page results, "back to top" links, an FAQ search would be nice, send-a-question, notify admin when new question,....I'll probably think of some more but, I need more coffee..... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:shock: glad I posted this. I hadn't thought of search ability.

 

Just a side note:

hmm ... FAQ or knowledgebase. Sort of reminds me of the CMS discussion. I personally think that CMS = *nuke and that scripts like /. are News management systems.

I just would like to keep the wording similar since FAQ/KnowledgeBase might have different connotations. Any enlightenment?

 

@ planed features

Categories of course

control panel similar to NewsDesk

 

@ suggested items to be implemented

search

user side submission (notify admin + approval / revision submission)

 

 

Keep the ideas coming!

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sub categories if at all possible. This is actually a feature the *nukes appear to be lacking.

 

Example:

 

Top Level:

Gift Vouchers

Next level

Purchasing

Redeeming

 

Maybe not necesary but I would rather have it from the beginning if it is possible.

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hopefully you are starting at products model so it will be easily extendable, just like news and articles mod.

 

The problems I had with the current contributions were dublication of files and questions and answers in the same page.

 

Rating system would be nice. After reading people could rate it 1-5 and one sorting option would be how useful people considered this FAQ. Basically a simplified reviews.

 

So FAQ would be a link somewhere that would take to page with categories or questions (if no categories). Maybe with 3 (configurable amount) of questions shown as preview.

"Use no way as way, have no limitation as limitation." - Bruce Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A searchable knowledgebase / FAQ that allows users to ask a question if they cannot find the answer that they are looking for. You should then be able to add the question to the knowledgebase if applicable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I second the subcategories option. But if at all possible, don't force us to use them. Some questions only need to be one category deep while others need to be two or three. I've seen many FAQ scripts where you can only have something two levels deep, no more no less.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

depth is limited by osC code.

 

I'm not the greatest programmer ... so I cheat and borrow what ever I can from osC.

 

If you need to see an early example check out my NewsDesk contrib. Basicly, I'm recycling code but I'm also changing things enough that they won't completely overlap. Benefits include programming time is that much more quicker and it's nice to know that bugs have been worked quite a bit since NewsDesk v 1.0 came out.

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ searchablility

 

OK folks how do you want this done? Through the main osC search or through a seperate box?

 

ahem ... let's not go hog wild on this and say "we want a full search page with booleans and what not" v1.0 unless some easy to implement dropdown occurs will be just a basic run through questions and answers hopefully.

 

@ layout

So, how do you want the flow look like? a full page of questions under a category of course, but I thinking about something more professional.

 

Right now I'm playing with the ability when you have only 1 question in a category to jump right to that page. Not sure if this is the right way to go or not though.

 

I'm also looking into diplaying all the categories on one page too. So far this isn't happening very well. :roll:

 

If somebody has links to a site that a has a good presentation please point in the right direction, also I'd like to hear your opinions too.

 

Cheers

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ searchablility

 

OK folks how do you want this done?  Through the main osC search or through a seperate box?

 

Cheers

 

Through OsC search with a select box Search: Products (default) | FAQ

 

Have a look at how the categories tables work, that is an easy way to duplicate for the FAQ system, i have something on my dev box (non internet) but needs a lot of work but the search function displays category & matching questions, when you click a match then a new page will load with the FAQ result that you just clicked at the TOP of the page.

 

looks neat though, will try to make some screenshots this weekend or so

 

busy with creating other mods right now

Robert

 

We all need to learn it once, how hard it may seem when you look at it, also you will master it someday ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ categories

NewsDesk is already based on those files. So the conversion to a FAQ system is already basically in place, change a few areas and the sql statements.

 

If I tag in through the search box in osC -- it doesn't seem it'll be just a few lines added but an actual conversion of those files (advanced_search, advanced_search_result, and search box) ... pretty messy in general which is why I was leaning towards a search in the main faq area for version 1.0.

 

How about the layout of the categories, any comments or you all gonna leave that up to me :wink:

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:cry:

 

Doesn't seem to be any interest with this mod.

 

Oh well, here's any update anyway.

 

I finally made huge progress the past 2 days. I've got category listings pretty much down and will knock the socks off of NewsDesk. I just couldn't get things to look like a FAQ and then other minor problems were also bugging me which I licked yesterday :D

 

Searching is done too. v 1.0 will not intergrate with the rest of osC ... period -- I pulled my hair out enough already. Problem is that the search_results page is pretty confusing to me with zones, rates, this and that ... so I just took the quick route and left things alone in the FAQDesk system. Oh well.

 

Good things to know ::

Most functions of NewsDesk ported extremely easily. Even "stickys" !!! I haven't seen that yet in other scripts.

 

 

NOW, before I release v1.0 I need input on the type of "ADD a question" that was mentioned above.

 

FAQDesk has NewsDesk's ability to write a review which is approved by an admin.

 

So, do I just leave it at that and let the admin check the review and make the decision to re-write it and then add it to a Category AND still have the choice to just let it stay as a review if it is written like one.

 

OR

 

Do I add another complete function to let users add their question seperately? Sorry I don't see automation happening in v1.0.

 

I'm not too sure off how much to depend on a user/customer to actually do searches on the faq database before firing off an idea to the admin of the system (hehe, I've seen enough posts -- done many myself ) which tends to lead me away from such an idea.

 

 

@ final work/coding

I still need to work on cleaning up more of the sql inserts and change wordings around a bit before I can release (hehe, too much NewsDesk is still left inside) but ... if answers come quick the earlier the release.

 

 

SO? Any comments?

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Salvo...Very interested and waiting patiently.

 

NOW, before I release v1.0 I need input on the type of "ADD a question" that was mentioned above.

 

FAQDesk has NewsDesk's ability to write a review which is approved by an admin.

 

So, do I just leave it at that and let the admin check the review and make the decision to re-write it and then add it to a Category AND still have the choice to just let it stay as a review if it is written like one.

 

Just having a single function makes sense to me....too many choices can just confuse the user.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me too :D This will compliment your news and Chads articles contrib perfectly. Should also put a stop to all the "lets integrate xxx - cms to oscommerce" nonsense :)

"Use no way as way, have no limitation as limitation." - Bruce Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think some people want to integrate with a particulat cms just to prove it can be done. I am about to go comment in another thread on this :)

 

I am looking forward to this faq contribution as well.

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ update

:D Just have to do a test install today, hopefully I'll have something later tonight.

 

@ cms

I, too, was a cms freak but realized that osC already does 70% of what most *nukes do already in sense, except that osC has virtually "no" user level which any *nuke will beat osC on, other points I'd say if you don't need member<>staff<>admin<>god user ranks osC is good enough.

 

hehe, I haven't somethign planned ... just I wonder if I'll be able to follow through with it or not. NO! *nuke intergration. However, something might do in pinch.

 

I just wish that osC had better user levels :cry:

 

@ NewsDesk and Chad's Articles

 

:roll: ahem ... [repeat] NewsDesk version 1.3 and Articles are basically the same :wink: I would highly recommend either or I find both NewsDesk v1.3 and Articles wonderful. However, NewsDesk 1.4 has more functions and abilities (hehe, sort of reminds me of software -- too many options to possibly use :wink: ) [/repeat]

 

NewsDesk v1.5 is going to benefit from my work here on FAQDesk.

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And since you are on the roll, how about link database that could be used to create a list for products and related contrib ? with output like:

 

<strong>I am heading for the link category</strong>

<ul>

<li>

<a href="i_am_link_from database" title="I am a link title from database">I am heading for that page</a> (i.am.top.domain.for.link)<br />

I am the guy who wrote the article or link desription.

</li>

</ul>

 

Maybe attributes based ?[/code]

"Use no way as way, have no limitation as limitation." - Bruce Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ mazza

 

Not sure what you're referring to? You want a link contrib? Been thinking of that ... but something else is on line first.

 

@ Bruce Lee

Jeet kwon do ... isn't what he wanted you to study so to say but rather it's a way to help you to understand "his way" :wink:

NewsDesk(934) / FAQDesk(1106) / OrderCheck(1168) :::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...