CustomFields
CustomFields, the aptly named plugin, brings custom fields to Movable Type's entries, authors and categories offering the ability to create text fields, multi-line textareas, drop down menus, radio buttons, url and date/time fields (complete with a pop up calendar). These fields, as demonstrated by the screenshots below, are easily accessible as they're displayed inline (directly on the respective editing screens). When CustomFields are enabled on the editing screens, all fields displayed on the screen are completely sortable - through a simple drag and drop interface, you can reorder your entry, author and category screens.
The data in the custom fields can be published in a number of ways including custom template tags - each of your custom fields could have its own custom template tag, for example if I had a custom entry field called Current Mood, I could create a custom tag MTEntryCurrentMood.
Finally, CustomFields also adds full fledged author archiving to Movable Type. Through one archive template, you can create pages for each of your authors displaying not only their entries but their custom fields data.
CustomFields 2.0 is the recommended version to install but is currently a release candidate which means that some bugs may still exist. You are recommended to take a backup before installing this plugin
softserve
November 21, 2007 10:29 PM
Once I figured customfields out I fell in love with it. This took a while, largely because the version up for download (as of Thanksgiving 2007) is essentially broken. After scouring the forum for help and not really getting it, I stumbled upon a couple of threads that mentioned changesets. Once I implemented these changes (http://plugins.movalog.com/svn/changeset/528 and http://plugins.movalog.com/svn/changeset/527 specifically) it was basically smooth sailing. Any issues I came across were dumb mistakes on my part, although I still can’t get folder customfields to appear.
But in any case, through this I’ve been able to fix what I consider a fundamental issue with MT4: the lack of the ability to specify meta descriptions, keywords and page titles (assuming you wish them to be different from the entry/page title itself). WP has plug-ins for this, MT4 currently does not. Now I’ve set it up to the point that it doesn’t matter. I’ve done this and some other image set-ups and I’m very happy with where it’s going.
My only real gripe is that the instructions on actually implementing these tags are just overly vague. Quite a few are mentioned on the manual page, but there’s no context for them and it’s a LOT of playing around. I think this largely just comes down to Arvind being a busy guy.
So for all the headaches, I think this is a 4 star product right now. Once its officially updated to fix these things I had to fix with changesets and the documentation is spiffed up it’s easily 5. As it stands it’s still the most useful MT4 plugin I’m aware of.
kimonostereo
December 9, 2007 10:29 AM
Was trying to use this plugin and followed softserves advice… but now when I make more than one custom field, only the first one shows up on the custom fields page. The rest do not show up at all.
Also there doesn’t seem to be a way to remove line breaks or the around the fields when displayed? Or maybe there is but I can’t modify the custom field because they don’t show up after created.
RDude
January 15, 2008 10:08 PM
So where’s the download?
sokratesagogo.myopenid.com
January 28, 2008 7:47 AM
This plug-in has been incorporated into the professional pack of MT4 - alas.