I have my main content area and I also have two sidebar content areas. I want to know if I can load another pages content (reuse) into one or both of the sidebars using TreeDropdownField?

Right now I am trying this,

<?php

class Page extends SiteTree {
static $db = array(

'LeftSide' => 'HTMLText',
'RightSide' => 'HTMLText'
);

function getCMSFields() {
$fields = parent::getCMSFields();
$fields->addFieldToTab('Root.Content.Main', new TreeDropdownField("LeftSide", "Choose a page to appear in the left sidebar:", "SiteTree"));
$fields->addFieldToTab('Root.Content.Main', new TreeDropdownField("RightSide", "Choose a page to appear in the right sidebar:", "SiteTree"));
return $fields;
}
static $has_one = array(
);
}

This just returns the page id in the sidebar instead of the actual page HTML.

Am I way off? Is this even possible.

Thanks in advance!

-Aaron

First of all - a test - I just wrote a long response and the forum totally bailed on submission...

...ok that really sucks. Here goes again:

Store those numbers as Ints - we'll use them later:

class Page extends SiteTree { 
   static $db = array( 
    
   'LeftSide' => 'Int', 
   'RightSide' => 'Int' 
   ); 
}

Now you can create a couple of customer getters to retrieve the pages you want:

class Page extends SiteTree { 
   ...
   function RightPage() {
      return DataObject::get_by_id("Page", $this->RightSide);
   }
   function LeftPage() {
      return DataObject::get_by_id("Page", $this->LeftSide);
   }
}

Now, within your side bar .SS template files (or wherever you want, really) you can control those pages:

<% control RightPage %>
<h3>$Title</h3>
$Content
<% end_control %>

This is totally untested, but it should get you on the right track!

Why not store those numbers as has_one's?

static $has_one = array(
'LeftSide' => 'Page',
'RightSide' => 'Page'
);

Then, in the template you can do:

<% control LeftSide %>
<h3>$Title</h3>
$Content
<% end_control %> 

<% control RightSide %>
<h3>$Title</h3>
$Content
<% end_control %> 

without the need to make those extra getter methods.. I think :)

:-0

Sometimes I forget how easy Silverstripe makes this sort of thing sometimes.

For my own peace of mind, the two are functionally equivalent though, right? The has_one relationship will store the page ID and get the dataobject automatically?

Thanks guys!

I will try this right away!

-Aaron

Hey Hamish,

Your method worked great!

This is HUGE! Thank you!

-Aaron

ok I am confused
would I need to download tree control to understand a bit better
what you guys are talking about?

Hi there!

I logically understand what you are talking about but pratically I can't realize it on my own...
Where to pass these code-snippets and how to set the page I want to display in the sidebar!?

I passed the code in mysite/code/Page.php - is this the right place?
Where to set that the page thaht should be displayed e.g. "id=contact"?

I'm new to ss and php so please be patient...
Thanks Berny