Essentials 1.2 for YOOtheme Pro - A Source Manager for Instagram, Google Sheets, CSV, and Database

Miljan
10 Mar, 2021

One of the greatest YOOtheme Pro features we use a lot is Dynamic Content, it loads content into layouts from different sources and allows us to create amazing layouts. By design, sources are tied to a known structure, e.g. a specific Extension database, or plain file content. But what about structured data from a CSV file, or connecting to a cloud service and retrieving the content from it? Not possible, unfortunately, and that has always been a great limitation.

Has been... because with Essentials Addons for YOOtheme Pro 1.2 we are taking Dynamic Content sources to the next level!

The Source Manager

We are excited to introduce Source Manager for YOOtheme Pro, a workflow that easies the creation聽of structurally complex sources, both local or in the cloud.聽It will create multiple聽sources based on different configurations, and all of them will become available as a native Dynamic Content ready to feed your layouts! 馃く馃ぉ馃槑

Source Manager for YOOtheme Pro

Instagram Source

A long-awaited source to display your Personal or Business Instagram accounts media. The authentication is done聽by our OAuth app, so the only聽required step is to connect your account and set up the source. Thanks to the YOOtheme Pro source workflow you could even have different accounts聽displayed in the same Gallery.

Instagram Source for YOOtheme Pro

Google Sheets Source

Keeping structured data in a Google Drive spreadsheet is聽convenient聽for collaborative or server-less projects, and being able to feed聽it data to a聽YOOtheme Pro layout opens the door for a聽bast amount of possibilities. The source聽expects聽the first row as the header definition which will be聽used to聽define the Schema and聽the mapping fields.

Google Sheet Source for YOOtheme Pro

CSV, Database & Other Sources

A Comma or Tab Separated Values is a well know聽format definition, and similarly as in a Google Sheet聽the source will be created based on the file header definition.

CSV Source for YOOtheme Pro

A聽Database Source, which is聽like an Army Knife, very useful聽when there is not a better聽tool around. Use it to create crazy workarounds or custom data workflows.

We have many other sources planned, like a聽Markdown or Yaml, just to name a few. Meantime we have prepared a nice landing page to further explore the new addon; if you are already a member, give it a try and let us know what you think, and what sources聽you would like to see next.

Other Improvements

We didn't forget about the rest of the addons, though, and if you are like me and love little big improvements, you are gonna enjoy this release!

Forms

  • Process聽a form submission with聽a 3rd party service while still using our Form Builder layout.
  • The Save to CSV action has been upgraded with a CSV columns field, making it easier to save only the fields you need.
  • The Form Area configuration in the Builder is now easier accessed through the Status Icon.
  • Added an optional field to聽name Actions.
  • Support for setting an empty value and a disabled attribute in the option elements, making it possible to set option placeholders.

And聽here is a bonus: if you combine a Form Save to CSV action with a CSV Source, you could set a database-less workflow to collect and show data in, let's say, our Chart element ;)

Access

  • A datetime rule has been added allowing more precise control of when an element should be rendered.
  • Similarly, as with Forms, the element access configuration has quick access now through the Status Icon.

Elements

We added Pinterest as a Social Sharing network and an option to show a configurable popup window for those who kind of like that...

Support System

In the last decade, we answered more than 10.000 ticket issues (WOW). That gave us plenty of opportunities to learn, and even though our current satisfaction rating is honestly great, we consider the best support the one you don't need.

In efforts to improve our support workflow, we are changing our Support System to Help Scout. We heard great things about them, tried it, and knew right away that's what we need.

Their tools will allow us to provide you answers before even raising a ticket, and be even closer to you if you need us. We are going to migrate soon, but no worries your old tickets will still be there in case you need them.

What's Next

We have set a strong base and we have so many ideas in motion and聽feature requests we want to deliver, but we have to prioritize quality over quantity. As such it's difficult to say what would our roadmap look like in the next months, but here goes a rough idea in no particular order:

  • Refactor codebase making it even easier to add customizations.
  • Refactor Access Rules with a dynamic and/or/not logic.
  • Refactor Icons collections as an API service to lower the package size and provide an even better聽solution.
  • Refactor Forms workflow with聽a better management experience.
  • Add more Access Rules, Form Actions, and Source Providers.
  • Add Form presets layouts for a quick and easy start.

We are thrilled to accompany YOOtheme in this journey,聽and聽in efforts to make聽you feel part of it as well, we are going to push forward minor features faster, while keep working on the major ones.聽Until then, stay聽safe and wise, everyone.

Comments (14)

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Wow! What an amazing news! I can鈥檛 wait to test this by the end of the day! Thanks for another great new step forward!

Peter Selie
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Absolutely perfect. Thank you.

Guido Goethe
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That's great news! It would be possible to use search or smart search to look up an info into a Google sheet using a keyword?

Let's say my keyword is a tracking number and I want to check an order status or something like that. I would type in...

That's great news! It would be possible to use search or smart search to look up an info into a Google sheet using a keyword?

Let's say my keyword is a tracking number and I want to check an order status or something like that. I would type in the number and then I would get the information included in the same row of the Google Sheet. I hope that makes sense.

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Roberto Santos
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Hi Daniele, thanks for your reply.

Yes, but not necessarily a registered user. As instance, let's say I have a Google Sheet where I record order numbers, client names and service statuses. If a client types an order number and click search, the...

Hi Daniele, thanks for your reply.

Yes, but not necessarily a registered user. As instance, let's say I have a Google Sheet where I record order numbers, client names and service statuses. If a client types an order number and click search, the status of the service related to that order number would be displayed along with any other selected information in the same row.

Another option for Google Sheets would be Airtable, which is better than Google in my opinion.

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Roberto Santos
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Being able to do searches, smart searches, or even complex queries using this system and attacking Google Sheet or BBDD, would be a great game changer!

Xavi
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I agree 100%.

Roberto Santos
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

RSS feed as a source would be great!

Niklas Forsberg
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Thank you all for your feedback! Feel free to suggest and vote features in our Feedback repository as well :)

Miljan Aleksic
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Wow guys - this sounds incredible, I'm going to check this out today - thank you!

Keith Mason
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi guys,
in Instagram Sources is possible hide selected images?

Thanks.

慕ubo拧 Kamenick媒
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I would say no, although I am not quite sure what you mean by hiding. Consider that as with any source the display features are managed by the element where is being mapped to.

Miljan Aleksic
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Hi,
i mean when i have many images on my Instagram feed (photos, graphics), it will be great hide selected images in my website. I don't want to see all the pictures from feed on the page.

Thanks

慕ubo拧 Kamenick媒
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

You can limit the amount of media to fetch, for anything else you must rely on the element features.

Miljan Aleksic
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