Mt Tags Plugin (tags.pl)

[csross]

I downloaded and installed the tags.pl plugin for Movable Type 3.16, from

>http://www.sixapart.com/pronet/plugins/plugin/tags.html

I put the plugin in the plugin directory, and the entry file where specified. The readme said there were new tags so I added the following to the Main Index template.

><$MTTagName$>

The MTTagName field is surrounded by the container tag MTEntryTags.

 

On the blog entry screen I entered a tag, but when I try and display it on the Main Index I don't see the tags entered with the blog entry. If I enclose the MTTagName field in quotes, all I see is quotes.

 

How can I get the tags and their links to display? Was there a problem with the plugin that someone knows how to fix.

 

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

Edited June 23, 2005 by TCH-David

[TweezerMan]

I put the plugin in the plugin directory, and the entry file where specified.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The perl plugin file should have been installed to plugins/tags/tags.pl. The "entry file" is a replacement "Edit Entry" template, and it should have been installed to wherever you've configured MT to look for alternate template files.

 

If you're using MT's dynamic publishing, the PHP plugin files should have been installed to the php/plugins directory. (If you're not using MT's dynamic publishing, the PHP plugin files do not need to be installed.)

 

The readme said there were new tags so I added the following to the Main Index template.

><$MTTagName$>

The MTTagName field is surrounded by the container tag MTEntryTags.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I tested the Tags plugin, and this code worked for me on the Main Index template, within a set of MTEntries tags:

><MTEntryTags>
<$MTTagName$> - <$MTTagDescription$><br />
</MTEntryTags>

 

On the blog entry screen I entered a tag, but when I try and display it on the Main Index I don't see the tags entered with the blog entry. If I enclose the MTTagName field in quotes, all I see is quotes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're going to have to provide more specific details about what you're doing. Where did you enter the tag? Was the "Keywords" field on your Edit Entry template changed to "Tags"? I'm not sure what you mean by "enclose the MTTagName field in quotes" - there is no "MTTagName" field on the Edit Entry template.

 

How can I get the tags and their links to display?  Was there a problem with the plugin that someone knows how to fix.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As near as I can tell, there is no problem with the plugin that would cause the behavior you're seeing. This leaves me with the conclusion that 1) the plugin is not installed correctly, or 2) you're not using the plugin tags correctly in your Main Index template.

 

Does the Tags plugin show up in the list of plugins on the main mt.cgi page under "Configure Active Plugins"? If it does not, then it is not installed properly.

 

That's about all I know to tell you without more info and detail from you.

[csross]

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

 

The perl plugin file should have been installed to plugins/tags/tags.pl.  The "entry file" is a replacement "Edit Entry" template, and it should have been installed to wherever you've configured MT to look for alternate template files.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

----That is exactly where the files are installed. The entry screen field for the tags changed from headings to tags, so it is using the correct .tmpl ----

 

If you're using MT's dynamic publishing, the PHP plugin files should have been installed to the php/plugins directory.  (If you're not using MT's dynamic publishing, the PHP plugin files do not need to be installed.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

---- Unfortunatly I am not sure of the difference between the two. This was my first install and I brought over the data from a 2.6 server.

 

I tested the Tags plugin, and this code worked for me on the Main Index template, within a set of MTEntries tags:

><MTEntryTags>
<$MTTagName$> - <$MTTagDescription$><br />
</MTEntryTags>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

------ That is what I had in my Main Index. I also added a heading and all that displayed is a heading. I put quotes around the MTTagName just to see the difference and when I brought up the blog, all I say were the quotes and the heading on the Main Index screen.

 

You're going to have to provide more specific details about what you're doing.  Where did you enter the tag?  Was the "Keywords" field on your Edit Entry template changed to "Tags"?  I'm not sure what you mean by "enclose the MTTagName field in quotes" - there is no "MTTagName" field on the Edit Entry template.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

----- I entered the tags on the entry screen where I make a blog entry. I didn't add the entry to a category. I understand it is supposed to add to the categories (as I am doing category archiving), and it didn't.

 

As near as I can tell, there is no problem with the plugin that would cause the behavior you're seeing.  This leaves me with the conclusion that 1) the plugin is not installed correctly, or 2) you're not using the plugin tags correctly in your Main Index template.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

------ This is what I put in my Main Index template.

><h2>TAGS</h2>
<MTTags>
<$MTTagName$>
</MTTags>

 

Does the Tags plugin show up in the list of plugins on the main mt.cgi page under "Configure Active Plugins"?  If it does not, then it is not installed properly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

------- I do not see a Configure Active Plugins item on the mt.cgi page. I have the scode.pl plugin installed and working.

 

---- Where do you see the tags?

 

Thanks

Edited June 23, 2005 by TCH-David

[TweezerMan]

------- I do not see a Configure Active Plugins item on the mt.cgi page.  I have the scode.pl plugin installed and working.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The "Configure Active Plugins" section on the main mt.cgi will appear below the list of your weblogs only if you have at least one MT3 plugin installed. SCode is not an MT3 plugin, but Tags is, so the "Configure Active Plugins" section should be displayed, with the Tags plugin listed in it.

 

The fact that it does not indicates that the Tags plugin is probably not installed correctly. Another way to verify this would be to look at the "View Source" from your weblog's main index page. You should see a closing /MTEntryTags tag in the HTML source code, and this is another indication that the Tags plugin is not properly installed. You might also take a look at the MT Activity Log and see if any errors are reported there relating to the Tags plugin.

 

Assuming that you're installing the plugin file to the correct location (plugins/tags/tags.pl), I'd suggest re-uploading the tags.pl file, making sure to upload it in ASCII mode and that the uploaded file overwrites the existing one on the server.

[csross]

--- My plugins directory is in the directory above cgi-bin. My mt.cfg does not have a field specifying the location of the plugin directory? I'm wondering if it is looking in cgi-bin/plugins.

 

------- I do not see a Configure Active Plugins item on the mt.cgi page.  I have the scode.pl plugin installed and working.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The "Configure Active Plugins" section on the main mt.cgi will appear below the list of your weblogs only if you have at least one MT3 plugin installed. SCode is not an MT3 plugin, but Tags is, so the "Configure Active Plugins" section should be displayed, with the Tags plugin listed in it.

 

The fact that it does not indicates that the Tags plugin is probably not installed correctly. Another way to verify this would be to look at the "View Source" from your weblog's main index page. You should see a closing /MTEntryTags tag in the HTML source code, and this is another indication that the Tags plugin is not properly installed. You might also take a look at the MT Activity Log and see if any errors are reported there relating to the Tags plugin.

 

Assuming that you're installing the plugin file to the correct location (plugins/tags/tags.pl), I'd suggest re-uploading the tags.pl file, making sure to upload it in ASCII mode and that the uploaded file overwrites the existing one on the server.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[marie b.]

Maybe I'm wrong here -- and I frequently am -- but I thought that MT plugins were always installed in the plugins directory inside the MT directory unless it specifies that they be installed elsewhere (in which case, installation shouldn't be a problem).

 

Therefore, if you have public_html/mt/ or cgi-bin/mt/, they'd be in the public_html/mt/plugins folder or cgi-bin/mt/plugins, etc.

Edited June 24, 2005 by marie b.

[TweezerMan]

--- My plugins directory is in the directory above cgi-bin.  My mt.cfg does not have a field specifying the location of the plugin directory?  I'm wondering if it is looking in cgi-bin/plugins. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, MT looks for its plugins in the /plugins subdirectory of whatever directory mt.cgi is in. There is an option in mt.cfg (MT 3.x) that allows specifying a different plugins directory, but most plugins don't look at the mt.cfg setting and just assume they are installed in the /plugins directory.

 

Maybe I'm wrong here -- and I frequently am...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope, you were 100% right on this one, Marie!

[csross]

*** I moved the plugins directory to cgi-bin and now I see the Configure Active plugins. Unfortunatly when I try and make an entry or post a comment, I get the following error

 

I moved my plugin directory and I see the listing of plugins on the mt.cgi page, but now I get the following error

 

Can't call method "blog_id" on an undefined value at /var/www/html/weblogs/cgi-bin/plugins/tags/tags.pl line 175

 

Any clue????

 

Thanks so much

 

 

 

 

--- My plugins directory is in the directory above cgi-bin.  My mt.cfg does not have a field specifying the location of the plugin directory?  I'm wondering if it is looking in cgi-bin/plugins. 

 

------- I do not see a Configure Active Plugins item on the mt.cgi page.  I have the scode.pl plugin installed and working.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The "Configure Active Plugins" section on the main mt.cgi will appear below the list of your weblogs only if you have at least one MT3 plugin installed. SCode is not an MT3 plugin, but Tags is, so the "Configure Active Plugins" section should be displayed, with the Tags plugin listed in it.

 

The fact that it does not indicates that the Tags plugin is probably not installed correctly. Another way to verify this would be to look at the "View Source" from your weblog's main index page. You should see a closing /MTEntryTags tag in the HTML source code, and this is another indication that the Tags plugin is not properly installed. You might also take a look at the MT Activity Log and see if any errors are reported there relating to the Tags plugin.

 

Assuming that you're installing the plugin file to the correct location (plugins/tags/tags.pl), I'd suggest re-uploading the tags.pl file, making sure to upload it in ASCII mode and that the uploaded file overwrites the existing one on the server.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[marie b.]

Did you move it to be inside the MT directory?

[TweezerMan]

Can't call method "blog_id" on an undefined value at /var/www/html/weblogs/cgi-bin/plugins/tags/tags.pl line 175

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You said earlier that you were using the plugin tags on your Main Index template. Assuming you are, are the plugin tags within a set of MTEntries tags?

><MTEntries lastn="7">
<MTEntryTags>
<$MTTagName$> - <$MTTagDescription$><br />
</MTEntryTags>
</MTEntries>

At the point in the code where your error is occuring, it looks to me like the error is being caused by the MTEntryTags plugin tag not being in an MTEntries context in your Main Index template.

[csross]

--- i may be tagging. I copied exactly what you have for the Main Index and it seems to work. What do you have in the Individual Entry Archive template? Do you have it in any other templates?

 

Thank you so much

 

 

Can't call method "blog_id" on an undefined value at /var/www/html/weblogs/cgi-bin/plugins/tags/tags.pl line 175

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You said earlier that you were using the plugin tags on your Main Index template. Assuming you are, are the plugin tags within a set of MTEntries tags?

><MTEntries lastn="7">
<MTEntryTags>
<$MTTagName$> - <$MTTagDescription$><br />
</MTEntryTags>
</MTEntries>

At the point in the code where your error is occuring, it looks to me like the error is being caused by the MTEntryTags plugin tag not being in an MTEntries context in your Main Index template.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[TweezerMan]

I downloaded and installed the Tags plugin yesterday just so I could see what you were talking about. I only tried it out on the Main Index template so I could see how it worked, then I uninstalled it.

 

The Individual Entry Archive template already has an entry context, so you would not use the MTEntries and /MTEntries tags that I have in my example. On all other templates you want to use Tags plugin tags in, you would need to make sure the MTEntryTags container tags are inside of a set of MTEntries tags (like the example I posted).

[csross]

Thank you for all your help. I have got the functionality working, for the most part.

 

I created a php index page of just the tags in the MTTags container. I get the tags I entered, but how do I get the description. I reference the MTTagDescription, but it is blank. I opened the category field but the description is <!--tag-->, put there by the perl program. The same was true when I had it on the Main Index file. How do I get the description entered and printed? Can I just change the category desc.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

I downloaded and installed the Tags plugin yesterday just so I could see what you were talking about.  I only tried it out on the Main Index template so I could see how it worked, then I uninstalled it.

 

The Individual Entry Archive template already has an entry context, so you would not use the MTEntries and /MTEntries tags that I have in my example.  On all other templates you want to use Tags plugin tags in, you would need to make sure the MTEntryTags container tags are inside of a set of MTEntries tags (like the example I posted).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[TweezerMan]

Yes, if you want display a description for a tag, you would need to enter that description in the tag's corresponding category description. The MTTagDescription tag is actually just an alias for the MTCategoryDescription tag.

[csross]

Thanks for your help. But in the description for the category, is the <!---tags---> that the plugin put there. So do I remove it and put a description instead. Sorry to question you so much about this.

 

Yes, if you want display a description for a tag, you would need to enter that description in the tag's corresponding category description.  The MTTagDescription tag is actually just an alias for the MTCategoryDescription tag.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[TweezerMan]

Thanks for your help.  But in the description for the category, is the <!---tags---> that the plugin put there.  So do I remove it and put a description instead.  Sorry to question you so much about this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. The description that you're seeing is just a placeholder that the Tags plugin puts in a new category when it creates one. You could have tried this yourself and saw what happened - it would either work or it wouldn't, and if it didn't, you could have put the original description back

[csross]

I know I should try it first and then ask. I appologize.

 

I tried to add a second tag to the entry and I get a runtime error "line 121, object doesn't support this property or method". Then I tried to add one, save, then add a second, with the same results.

 

Are more than one tag allowed for an entry?

 

thanks

 

Yes.  The description that you're seeing is just a placeholder that the Tags plugin puts in a new category when it creates one.  You could have tried this yourself and saw what happened - it would either work or it wouldn't, and if it didn't, you could have put the original description back 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[TweezerMan]

That error message doesn't look like the full message - what file did the error occur in?

 

I looked at the code, and I was mistaken about the '<!--tag-->' text in the category description of a tag's category. That text needs to stay in the category description - it is how the Tags plugin identifies whether a category is being used as a tag or not. It doesn't look like it matters whether the '<!--tag-->' text is before or after the actual category description - it just needs to be in there somewhere. (When an existing category is used as a tag, the Tags plugin appends the '<!--tag-->' text after the existing category description.)

 

Replacing the '<!--tag-->' in the tag's category descriptions may resolve the issues you're having now, but it's hard to be sure when you don't know what the real error is.

 

Yes, you are supposed to be able to use more than one tag on an entry if you wish.