[Plugin: Image Widget] Should the image widget use the media uploader inputs?

In one word: Yes!

From the start your widget has been kind of mimicking the normal add image process that you have when editing posts in the wysiwyg editor so I think taking it all the way sounds like a really good idea, especially if you already got some help with it.

I personally think that the image upload process in the wysiwyg editor is really nice and making the controls in the thickbox usable with your plugin makes alot of sense.

Adding this to core sounds like a great idea too since without your widget there is no hassle free way of just adding an image to the sidebar.

You have done and are doing most excellent work with this plugin! Mad props to capnhairdo for helping out too!

Is there any chance that I/we could try out the version you got from capnhairdo?

I’ve added capnhairdo’s updates to trunk.

One problem with having the uploader be the only admin for the title (among the other fields) is that you can’t save an image without a title but i have many clients that like to use the widget without a title.

Options:
# don’t use the title – have that be something that is not tied in directly (the uploader has a title and the widget has another or overrides the title)
# have an option in the widget to hide the title. a simple checkbox.

In this paradigm the widget is an upload link, a preview image, width, height and a checkbox for hide title.

Nick M. wrote:

Took a look at how your widget functions and I have some feedback…

-When selecting an image in the popup and configuring settings there, none of the settings (size, caption, etc) are pulled over into the widget config.
-If the image is large, the widget config gets very tall and you are required to do a lot of scrolling. I would recommend only showing a thumbnail (preferred) or only show the URL of the image.
-Use a wider widget config instead of the default width.
-Limit the width of the fields for height and width.

We are very interesting in using a popup to select an image from the media library, but it would need to pull over all of the settings into the widget config. If it doesn’t, it would be a bad experience for the user.

I didn’t look through the actual code, but in your original message to Matt you mention using a post. I wouldn’t worry about this. If the user uploads from the popup in the widget I would do the same thing that happens when uploading at /wp-admin/media-new.php. Leave it as an unattached image.

-Nick

Nick, thanks for the great feedback!!! I agree with all of it though i’m not totally sold on the bit about making a preview. (most people use the sidebar for small images and it’s nice seeing the real size of the image, especailly since capnhairdo made an instant preview of the sizing)

Re your note about the post. it’s doing a media-new.php type upload. are you thinking it should make a post with a type=image-widget or something? We could make a single post and have all the uploads be attachments so that the gallery makes any uploads from previous image widgets available.