Make Existing menu item a Settings menu

Sounds like a lack of documentation ;) Patches welcome!

Basicly it is a new menu item type. That new type works exactly like a normal menu item.

- If I create a new item, does it always generate a settings page?

Yes and no... Yes when you use the 'Add settings link' link to create an item. No when you use the normal, existing 'Add link' (and No when menu items are controlled by other modules, such as node module or the views module)

- Can I also use it as a normal menu?

Yes, in that sense it is a normal menu item. I removed the expanded option, but further more it is exaclyt the same as a menu item.

It would be nice if I can edit a normal menu item, and set that as settings-page-relevant, perhaps with a new path.
This way, you can use the menu-item+sub-items both normally, and as a settings page (like a mega-menu, or like a reversed administration menu, which takes the settings page, and turns it into a normal menu.)

I am afraid, I don't get what you say... I think it works exaclty like you describe... but since you ask the question, I think I don't get the point...

Tnx for the feedback, try it out... it is simple and elegant. Comments welcome!

It is just that it feels more safe if this module adds an extra option to an existing item. My fear is: what happens with my menu item if it is happily living amidst all other menus/items, and I decide to disable this module? Will it behave like a normal menu? will it be lost?

Not tested, but I am sure that the menu item will still exist when you remove the module. But it is useless... it points to a path with no page. You will probably have no UI anymore to edit/delete the item.

Didn't thought this case through, but I have a feeling that this is an edge case. First of all why do you want to remove modules that you are using? I understand that that happens, but then second: when you put the module back, make changes to your menu and then uninstall it again, the problem is solved.
To me this sounds like "I cannot use views when I uninstall views"

It might be a good idea to transform the menu items to 'normal' menu items when the module is uninstalled?

As said, I understand that sometimes you want to disable or remove modules...
To be honest ... I had my doubts about releasing this as contrib, because the functionality is rather specific. But while I was building my 100st settings page custom module, I had the feeling that, when generalized a little more, this could be useful for the 101st time. That is what this module is.

When I build this as a widget, it would be as heavy (or light) as the current implementation. I then have the same issue with removal of the module, the UI would simply disappear for edit/delete. It just comes down to preferences of UI. I am for sure no UI guru, but I don't like the over bloated edit forms, with a gazillion options for one menu item..

Kortom not gonna fix ;) But I am considering the option for transforming to normal menu items on uninstall. One of the issues i have with that, is that there is no way back, when you re-install the module, the menu items will still be normal menu items.

It would happen with an option field, unless you keep track of the menu items in a seperate table.

And that is exactly how it is designed. The menu items act like they do, just because this module is responsible for them. It does not need extra tables now, and i like to keep it that way.

I just think that a seperate add link is cleaner, but I am willling to listen to UI gurus.

Double post... 3G to the max!