The current issues:
- The module system requires a minimum of 4 files to create a new module.
- Lack of standard handing of configuration options (cfg templates help, but the PHP end is poorly documented)
- Lack of standard handing of list based management modules (such as the BBcode lists, forum lists, ranks, etc)
- Module system allows for visual reorganization, bit is often a pain for the user
The proposed system:
The idea for this came off of an open source project I am working on, I came up with this idea when browsing files. The idea is make the interface similar to what we see currently in our desktop environment, make the ACP a system of files (modules) and folder (categories). Folders would contain groups of modules that are related, and the Admin can drag and drop rearrange them as they please.
Modules:
Modules would come in two types: configuration and list.
Configuration modules would provide the framework for the template (like a cfg template) so no template edits would be required at all. This type of module would simply be a page of controls, values, buttons, and other options for the Admin to do/perform.
List modules would provide the framework to list items from a table and display them as objects within a special "folder". This module would act like a folder, but instead of modules inside, it would be the objects from the list. Pagination, editing, adding, deleting all would be built into the system, allowing the one writing the module to turn them all on, or all off if they so choose.
Folders:
Folders would simply be folders that contained modules. The admin should be able to move them (within a grid) around the ACP, and be able to create them with infinite depth (folder inside a folder recursively).
Design Concept: