Currently there are about 3 paragraphs of help text on the modules page:

Modules are plugins that extend Drupal's core functionality. To further extend your site's functionality, a number of contributed modules are available for download.

Module-related tasks can be located on the administration by module page. New module-related permissions may also become available as new modules are enabled.

Each time a module is updated, it is important that update.php is run. To help manage the update process, the Update manager module provides information on new versions of modules (and themes) as they are released, and allows you to upgrade any missing updates or install new modules and themes. Regular review of the available updates page is essential to maintaining a secure and current site.

Let's try and shorten that a bit.

- The second paragraph can be dropped entirely, since these links are now shown for each module in the list itself.
- The first one basically only says that modules can be downloaded somewhere. Do we still want to promote that here? Why not point out directly that that's what you want to use update module for? This happens in the third paragraph, which actually contains the most important bits of information.

My proposal (bold equals a link):

Modules extend Drupal's functionality. Use the Update manager to install new modules and update existing ones.

Regularly review the available updates page to maintain a secure and current site and always run update.php each time a module is updated.
CommentFileSizeAuthor
#26 modulelist-short7.patch4.56 KBheather
#26 Picture 22.png24.84 KBheather
#23 modulelist-short5.patch4.58 KBBojhan
#20 modulelist-short5.patch4.54 KBheather
#20 noamp-enabled.png25 KBheather
#19 noem-notenabled.png22.66 KBheather
#19 modulelist-short4.patch4.54 KBheather
#18 enabled-noperms3.png19.4 KBheather
#18 enabled-perms.png24 KBheather
#18 modulelist-short3.patch4.54 KBheather
#18 notenabled-update.png23.38 KBheather
#16 enabled-noperms2.png23.15 KBheather
#15 modulelist-short2.patch5 KBheather
#13 joe-permissions.png24.39 KBheather
#12 unenabled2.png22.74 KBheather
#12 enabled2.png28.18 KBheather
#12 modulelist-short.patch5.04 KBheather
#10 modules-intro-text.patch4.75 KBeigentor
#10 intro-text-modules.png4.13 KBeigentor
#9 modulelist-hello2.png29.25 KBheather
#9 modulelist-hello2.patch4.86 KBheather
#8 update-enabled1.png61.12 KBheather
#8 update-notenabled1.png47.71 KBheather
#8 modulelist-hello1.patch5.06 KBheather
Support from Acquia helps fund testing for Drupal Acquia logo

Comments

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

Modules extend Drupal's functionality. Use the Update manager to install new modules and update existing ones.

Regularly review available updates to maintain a secure and current site and always run update.php each time a module is updated.

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
CreditAttribution: webchick commented

That revamp looks great!

My only concern is I really do think we need to point people to contrib here. I don't immediately see a bolded "link" here that would do that.

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

Thanks you. The downloads landing page on the new d.o. will be called Extend, right? So we could link 'extend Drupal' in the first senctence. Might get a bit link heavy but we'll see.

I'm not making the patch because it if/elses in a way that right now result in 3 separate paragraphs. I'm not smart enough to juggle that back to the two lines resulting from this proposal.

lisarex’s picture

lisarex CreditAttribution: lisarex commented

It's either's yoroy's suggestion to link 'extend Drupal' or tack on appropriate wording/link at the start of "use the Update manager to install new modules and update existing ones." I couldn't think of anything that didn't sound totally redundant appearing right after the first sentence other than:

Modules extend Drupal's functionality. Download contributed modules, use the Update manager to install new modules and update existing ones.

Regularly review available updates to maintain a secure and current site and always run update.php each time a module is updated.

Dries’s picture

Dries CreditAttribution: Dries commented

Note that on many sites the Update manager might be disabled: it might be considered undesirable (e.g. a bigger site might want to enforce a dev/staging/prod workflow) or the system requirements (e.g. ssh/ftp support) might not be met. The documentation seems to assume that the Update manager is always available.

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

It's why I didn't create the patch. There's some if/elses in there that check for update manager availability. That's also the reason that the current text has 3 paragraphs instead of the proposed 2, each paragraph is a result of some check.

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented
Assigned: yoroy » Unassigned

Don't let me hold you from starting a patch ;)

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
Assigned: Unassigned » heather
FileSize
modulelist-hello1.patch5.06 KB
update-notenabled1.png47.71 KB
update-enabled1.png61.12 KB

OK making a stab at this, using the suggestions from Yoroy and Lisarex

However, now you can see the update and install links within the text are redunant with the new links.

I am offering two patches.

First based on Yoroy & lisa's suggestions: modulelist-hello1.patch

Update manager enabled with permissions two links to update and install are redundant.

update-enabled1.png

Update manager not enabled:

update-notenabled1.png

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
modulelist-hello2.patch4.86 KB
modulelist-hello2.png29.25 KB

This is option 2: without the two extraneous links.

No change to the not enabled or no permissions options compared to option 1 above, so only one screenshot:

modulelist-hello2.png

eigentor’s picture

eigentor CreditAttribution: eigentor commented
FileSize
intro-text-modules.png4.13 KB
modules-intro-text.patch4.75 KB

This looks good.

What could be improved, is the case when Update manager is not enabled. To me the information that Update Manager also informs you about updates is redundant here. Right in the installation process, people choose if they want to automatically check for updates. When you enable Update manager, the yellow alert tells you to run cron and thus check for updates. So I cut that part out, a patch with that change is attached.

What would be nice is to be able to make the Words "Update Manager" a link here to that jumps down to update manager to enable it. But as the Table row only has css classes and not IDs, this is not possible at the moment. Though it might be useful (probably D8 stuff) to change this, so we can link from different places in drupal right to an enabling-checkbox for a module.

What I don't really understand is the difference between someone who is allowed to view the modules page (and thus enable/disable modules) and someone that has permissions to use update manager.
For Update manager has no permissions on its own at the moment, or is that planned?

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

Not a fan of the first two very similar looking sentences. Maybe the first one can just go now?

Last sentence 'If you enable…" is a bit too wordy.

"Enable the Update manager module to update and install modules and themes." ?

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
modulelist-short.patch5.04 KB
enabled2.png28.18 KB
unenabled2.png22.74 KB

Yoroy, I combined the first two sentences into one.

Then replaced the enable text as you recommend. It makes sense in context.. so you can say 'additional' modules in this case.

Download additional contributed modules to extend Drupal's functionality.

Regularly review available updates to maintain a secure and current site. Always run update.php each time a module is updated. Enable the Update manager module to update and install modules and themes.

Enabled:

enabled2.png

Unenabled:

unenabled2.png

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
joe-permissions.png24.39 KB

I also created a user with no permission to use update manager, though it is enabled... so we can see that other case:

Joe, an administrator user type can view the update manager report and run update.php, but he cannot install or update modules via the update manager. Poor Joe.

joe-permissions.png

Now links to * Update existing modules & * Install new module are hidden and the text is amended to his permissions.

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

Last sentence again :-)

Use the Update manager for information on available updates.

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
modulelist-short2.patch5 KB

How about now?

I changed that sentence to the one yoroy suggests.

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
enabled-noperms2.png23.15 KB

Sorry attaching updated screenshot for case: enabled but no permissions from #13

enabled-noperms2.png

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

Almost there yes! Last sentence:
For those who *can* see the updates, link 'available updates' to the corresponding page and not link 'Update manager'.

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
notenabled-update.png23.38 KB
modulelist-short3.patch4.54 KB
enabled-perms.png24 KB
enabled-noperms3.png19.4 KB

Yoroy, in IRC, suggested further edits:

see attached.

Enabled, with perms:

enabled-perms.png

Enabled, no perms:

enabled-noperms3.png

Not enabled:

Note the title of the module is in italics.

notenabled-update.png

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
modulelist-short4.patch4.54 KB
noem-notenabled.png22.66 KB

There should be no italics in the case of a module title.

Says Drupal Docs: http://drupal.org/node/338208

Amended.

noem-notenabled.png

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
FileSize
noamp-enabled.png25 KB
modulelist-short5.patch4.54 KB

Yoroy points out no ampersands.

Fixed.

Please RTBC this someone? *whimper*

noamp-enabled.png

yoroy’s picture

yoroy CreditAttribution: yoroy commented

I'm happy with this. Thanks so far heather!

Bojhan’s picture

Bojhan CreditAttribution: Bojhan commented
Status: Needs review » Reviewed & tested by the community

I was not invovled in this issue, untill now. So giving it a review. The first sentence seems good, the second - the long link feels somewhat awkward, could that be just available updates? thats linked. Also we might, want to take a look at whether we can rename update.php to something more humanly.

Bojhan’s picture

Bojhan CreditAttribution: Bojhan commented
Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Needs review
FileSize
modulelist-short5.patch4.58 KB

So, changed the link . And tried with "the update script"

lisarex’s picture

lisarex CreditAttribution: lisarex commented
Status: Needs review » Reviewed & tested by the community

Looks good.

If I'm really honest, "Regularly review and install available updates" isn't helpful enough when Update manager is not enabled (because they won't know exactly how to do that), but as the Update manager is enabled by default, and they are told to enable it if it isn't...

RTBC :)

lisarex’s picture

lisarex CreditAttribution: lisarex commented
Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Needs review

oops, cross-posted!

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
Status: Needs review » Reviewed & tested by the community
FileSize
Picture 22.png24.84 KB
modulelist-short7.patch4.56 KB

Address bojhan's points.

1) Made only available updates clickable

2) Renamed update.php to "update script" as recommended in IRC

Picture 22.png

heather’s picture

heather CreditAttribution: heather commented
Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Needs review

Changed status.

Bojhan’s picture

Bojhan CreditAttribution: Bojhan commented
Status: Needs review » Reviewed & tested by the community

Ok, lets go with this - we can revisit update script later if we want to.

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
CreditAttribution: webchick commented
Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Fixed

Great work, all!

Committed to HEAD!

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.