| Attribute | Average |
|---|---|
| Features | 4.27 / 5 |
| Reliability | 3.87 / 5 |
| Ease Of Use | 2.8 / 5 |
| Documentation | 3.13 / 5 |
| Vote Count | 15 |
An Overview of Panels The Panels module allows a site administrator to create customized layouts for multiple uses. At its core it is a drag and drop content manager that lets you visually design a layout and place content within that layout. Integration with other systems allows you to create nodes... [More...]
| Maintainer: | merlinofchaos |
| Links: | |
| Categories: | Content display |
| Version | Date | Files | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.x-3.7 | 2010-Jul-27 | Download | Recommended |
| 5.x-2.0-rc1a | 2008-Aug-05 | Download | Recommended |
| 6.x-3.x-dev | 2010-Sep-03 | Download | Development |
| 5.x-2.x-dev | 2010-Jul-11 | Download | Development |
| 5.x-1.2 | 2007-Apr-03 | Download | Other |
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It really took quite a long time to be able to understand and use all features.
Together with http://drupalmodules.com/module/tabs-pan... and http://drupalmodules.com/module/og-panel... and http://drupalmodules.com/module/user-rel... you get the most flexible visibility (access) control I have found.
Without that module I would be lost.
So again: The visibility rule feature of panels module is really great!!!
As this module is so feature rich I only recommend it if you have very complicated roles, goups ... combinations.
If you just want to rearrange your content there are more simple modules.
I think panels is a very cool module, but you can't do something intuitive. Learning curve is extremely high.
Thanks to Merlin for sharing.
I`d like to agree with escoles (rewiew below) - Panels shouldn`t be used on average site with average website managers. I mean - MOST of sites shouldn`t use Panels without big need...
Features - 2, because I couldn`t make it work on 2 different hostings, on 2 different projects.
Reliability - 1, because of reason above. More aver, I can`t understan why should I install so many depenpencies?
Easy - 1. I simply dont understand terminology, there are so many choices... but when I understanded how to make a page panel, all crashed and I got nothing.
Documentation - really, I don`t know. I`ll put 3 that because I loved this module 5th vertion, it was perfect. But today - I don`t recommend using it, if all your needs is "to make frontpage more interesting". Try using Composite Layote (although it ai not perfect, also) or by theming page-front.php.tpl.
Sorry my bad english, please.
SUMMARY: Don't even consider using Panels if EITHER of the following is true:
Features: After much internal debate, I put this at a '2' because while the feature set is very, very impressive, I've yet to be able to get any of it working since Panels 1.x.
Reliability: My '2' is based on the fact that I can't figure out what makes it function on one (e.g. very, very simple) D6 install and fail on another (fairly complex) D6 install at the same hosting provider.
Ease of Use: Panels uses radically new terminology and has historically been poor about documenting what that terminology means (see comments below re. documentation). Also, it apparently subverts some core principles about how Drupal works. If it worked better or more consistently, I'd be more willing to invest time in unpacking and experimenting to figure out how it works. As it stands, I find the UI superficially attractive but in practice impenetrable.
Documentation: Is better than it used to be, in that now there is an explanation of what major terminology like "context" means and an overview of how Panels is intended to work. Unfortunately, the explanations are still not very clear, the tutorials that stand in for instructions are obsolete, and many features and much terminology remains undocumented.
Stability: I've had great difficulty getting Panels 3.x to function consistently. Installed on some Drupal 6.1x systems, it seems to work fine; on others, it can't create new panels. Only nodes are available for insertion. User interface elements are missing.
The Composite Layout module can do most things that most people will want to do with Panels, and does them without having to re-invent Drupal to do it. I strongly suggest that anyone who thinks they need Panels, first try Composite Layout and assure themselves that they can't get where they need to go using it.
As usual from Merlin of Chaos it's a beast of a module. Feature-rich and power-packed with an inscrutable and whiz-bang UI that still manages to be unwieldy.
Just like with views as long as you play nice and are like 90% of the users out there you're going to be happy with it... however if you're among the 10% that tries to extend Panels and do something special with it you're in for a life of frustrations.
It continually corrupts the pages I make, returns "error: invalid pane id" and eats all the content I entered, and generally makes my life miserable from the moment I tried to leave the comfy confines of its out-of-the-box behavior.
In my opinion the panels module has great potential, but just like context the interfaces are waaay over the top, requires too much time to understand, not user-friendly and therefore not usable if you want an end-user to configure stuff.
I just used this module to create the home page of my website. I used the 33,34,33 stacked layout, made a few blocks, added pictures, and PERFECT!!!. Thank you so much for this great module!
This refers to the latest P3 which got rid of the otherwordly "delegator". Since then it is much, much easier to use but you still have to invest some time to understand it. If you can work with Views you won't have too many troubles. However you will constantly have moments of amazement about the possibilities this module offers.
Not only allows to create completly custom designed pages but also provides useful overrides for the node template or the add/edit pages.
GREAT!
I refer to the new panels 3 with this.
Panels is really a fantastic module. You can chop a page in slices and but any content in there that you want. Just amazing. The real difficulty lies in "How to use it?" There are so many options and a JS GUI with popups and not realy easy to access settings that it will drive you nuts. With Panels 3 we now need CTools and the delegator. Panels now is a plugin for the pages part of the delegator. Can you still follow me? The delegator will override URLs with its plugins and panels is one of them. This is really great because you can set a lot of Taskhandlers with different criterias that can for example overwrite different nodetypes with different panels. It took me a real headache to figure this because it is really different from panels 2.
Anyway just try panels. Its a must have module and got really improved in Panels 3 for Drupal 6. And maybe after you figure how it works you write some documentation so help others out ;)
Another brilliant module with incredible applications for website design and presentation and which allows the drupal user to maximize what is available in the drupal core but which otherwise may be somewhat inaccessible or difficult to manipulate. A panel can hold views, blocks, nodes -- the list is endless. A panel can be a front page, or it can hold lists of dynamically generated content. Mini panels can be inserted in panel nodes or panel pages. The ability to build sites with Panels is limited only by the imagination of the user. One of my personal all time favorites. Use it once and you'll be hooked. Support? Well, no, the support is not necessarily delivered in the warmest and fuzziest manner, but so what... use Panels, experiment with it -- you cannot break it, and you can always uninstall it. It is rock solid, in my own personal experience. Upgrades are smooth and error free.
I use this module in a number of places. It does make setting up pages easier, however it provides little end user benefit
My biggest complaint is the SUPPORT. DON'T ask a question in the "support" section (or IRC) of panels to the developers or you will be called names. hehe
The developers issue Que for 1.X states that they no longer support that version. However on the front page of the project they issue a great big warning on the risks of using DEV 2.X version.
I must admit I am extremely tough on modules in my ratings, however the treatment I received and the lack of respect earns this a big 0. The lack of support for a stable version is contradictory to their statements. However it does its task, its reliable, and since there isn't a "support" section I must give this an above average rating in all area's!
Lastly I must give credit to the developers. This project is a major undertaking and it is a very hard project to take on. They have executed it beautifully, and it promises to be one of the core components of the future of Drupal.
The API documentation has become incredible, and the on site how to's are helpful. But don't be looking for any other support on their project page or risk being belittled.
Lastly the template and CSS does not work well in IE. The floats where not properly implemented. Also creating custom styles will show you 2 different things. First thing, this module inserts a TON of DIVS! Im tired of having to explain it to the CSS IRC chat.
Contradicting myself. The panes style is not well thought out. The title is contained in a div, however I could not contain all of the body into a div. This is most evident in the Views with More turned on. Creating custom panel definitions that are complex and flexible are limited.
Small things in a giant project! I must still recommend this project if you have time to learn it!
It could be a bit easier to set up and understand the first time--a little more documentation wouldn't be bad. But as soon as you "get" what it does, it's really fun. Makes laying out comlex pages a snap. Honestly, it's a blast to use. As soon as they're able, I introduce new Drupal devs to this one--just to give them break from the agony of trying to wrap their minds around taxonomies or views. This is Drupal playtime.
Made our struggles with creating a consistent and complex look disappear, but still had issues, primarily with the FCKeditor, making it usable for the non-techies editing the content of the site. Java didnt like speaking with Java apparently. We were able to train around but we are also looking at a long-term solution to this issue...
Panels make is very easy to add multiple pieces of content to a single page without having to do any custom theme stuff for it. The new version of panels seems to fix any problems I had before with it, but it is still in beta and should be a very cool module when finished.
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Drupal Consulting and Web Design
http://www.proxous.com
Panels in isolation is a good module that lets you put content in a two column, three column or various other layout formats. But its best used with custom content types created with CCK and views. If you want a totally different front page use $isfront variable and remove the sidebars then create a different front page than all other pages with use of panels. Yes for this you'll need some CSS tweaking. See an example I made here.
As far as the current panels and the 2.0 alpha release I'd suggest some more layout formats that whats given with the two column and three columns ones. With 2.0 when I used it with panels block to show tabs I had some problems but I think they have sorted it out now. All in all, its a great module if you want to categorize and sort your content in you own style with no or minimal coding.
"Simple and easy to use module. It really speeds up the work flow for creating your menu's. I hope it..."
"A must have on a multilanguage site. Not only russian or arabic, but also german or french have their..."
"Very simple and well implemented. Don't need to read docs, just install and enable. Would be nice if..."
