Need some advice on a website solution

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MisterBigglesworth

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So I was approached to help on a website. Client doesn't have much to spend and it seemed like a straightforward user registration system, with moderation and they needed extra fields captured. They also wanted News to be added, and some to be only for registered members as well as an image gallery.

So I went the Wordpress route after some recommendations from MyBB members here. It worked well, and I learnt a lot so it was totally worth it :D

Now there is a problem....scope creep. The other requirements that got added (I was more than half way into the development at this point, closer to 80% completion before the below got brought to my attention):

1. I added extra fields for users via a plugin where on registration a user can add qualification info and from where they obtained it, as well as uploading a document RE the qualification and some other data related to it. The issue I now have is...what to do if there is more than 1 qualification? Need some facility where the user can register, then go to their profile and click a button for a popup to add more qualifications (how every many they need). So far there is no Wordpress plugin that does this....well, I have searched and cant find anything.

2. If a registered user logs in and updates their profile info, the updated info must be marked as pending. An Admin needs to be notified via email of the update about the changes to be made so they can verify it. Only once the Admin is happy with new updated content, do they approve the users updated info. Again...no Wordpress plugin for this.

3. Registered users need the functionality to be able to search for other users. So they can search by name, surname, or any extra custom field. Again....no Wordpress plugin for this.

So here I am, stuck with scope creep. I think this needs to move to something like Joomla....cos Wordpress is not meant for this. Other option is to develop it myself form scratch...but I will lose money on this going that route due to the time it will take to create it and the clients budget.

Any ideas, I dont wanna bail on the guy. :confused: Added, I do this work part time...so I dont wanna be out of pocket either. Ah man...hate being stuck like this. What to do? :confused:
 
For your first problem, why not simply have about four or five fields, for up to 5 different qualifications? Unused ones will just be blank.

For the third one, won't it be fairly easy to modify the wordpress search for this?

I agree that you probably need a better system though. Would joomla or drupal have these functions though?
 
I sort of have an idea for a solution to your second problem. There should be a user role editor plugin for Wordpress. See if you can't disable profile editing after registration for non-administrators. That way users have to contact the owners to change their details. Shouldn't happen too often to be a bother.
 
Hi CrazyFig

Yes, Wordpress may become a headache, especially when more customized solutions are needed. You will also not easily find plugins for these requirements.

In order to keep making use of WP you will need some advanced knowledge on the platform, as well as the plugins you are using. You can always code additional fields into the form for the qualifications and and add additional database fields in the MySQL database to store the new information required.

As for your second problem, why not consider a database field called 'approved'. Have profile information displayed only if 'approved' field is 'Yes'. The default value for this field should then be 'No'. This field can be changed by the client to 'Yes' when the qualifications have been approved. You can make use of built-in mail functions to send an e-mail to the client each time qualifications is changed. Once qualifications is changed by the client, the approved field must also be changed to 'No'. You can also create a page for the client with outstanding approval requests.

Your third problem should not be a big issue either. Simply create a new search function where registered users have access and can search for other users from the database. You can create a specific database for this, which will be populated with info from the registration form, or simply use the main registration form.

Again, this will require extensive WP knowledge. Otherwise, a custom site built from scratch may be the solution.
 
Ask your client why they never told you about these additional functionality and let them know that it will cost extra as it changed the scope of the project entirely.

Then if they moan you say "Fine, I will down tools until you decide on EVERY single functionality you want for the site, and phase it if need be. Until then, no work will be done, because I have to re-quote and re-work MY time on this"

If they don't want, they can fly a kite.

Scope change means your est time working on it/completion will change which means your rate and the quote needs to change.

Most clients will go "Oh, then forget about the additional functionality, we can do that later" or some ****.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Im gonna look into the options you mentioned. Yeah I could do some custom dev...but time is the problem, and I dont wanna spend hours on this and not get anything from it. Will see what I can do, have taken all responses into consideration, thanks again! :)
 
CrazyFig said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. Im gonna look into the options you mentioned. Yeah I could do some custom dev...but time is the problem, and I dont wanna spend hours on this and not get anything from it. Will see what I can do, have taken all responses into consideration, thanks again! :)
Click to expand...

Have a look at s2member - the Free version should be good enough - Good luck
 
Wordpress is cool, but can be frustrating at the same time. s2Members was great, but there was no way to add relation data. Advanced custom fields has it...but you have to pay....so I have paid for it.

Now I need an option to export the users that have registered with the std Wordpress fields and the extra advanced custom fields I added via the plugin.

So ja...it gets very frustrating...cos plugins seem to do 95% of what you need, and it seems the 5% you gotta code yourself....somehow. Ah well, cool experience though and at least the client is happy and Im not outta pocket. Win win for us ;)

Thanks for the help guys :D
 
CrazyFig said:
Wordpress is cool, but can be frustrating at the same time. s2Members was great, but there was no way to add relation data. Advanced custom fields has it...but you have to pay....so I have paid for it.

Now I need an option to export the users that have registered with the std Wordpress fields and the extra advanced custom fields I added via the plugin.

So ja...it gets very frustrating...cos plugins seem to do 95% of what you need, and it seems the 5% you gotta code yourself....somehow. Ah well, cool experience though and at least the client is happy and Im not outta pocket. Win win for us ;)

Thanks for the help guys :D
Click to expand...

Glad I could help. ;) - Sorry, didnt think you're gonna have to pay, but basic custom fields are possible without paying, great plugin though, I use it for most of my sites
 
CrazyFig said:
1. I added extra fields for users via a plugin where on registration a user can add qualification info and from where they obtained it, as well as uploading a document RE the qualification and some other data related to it. The issue I now have is...what to do if there is more than 1 qualification? Need some facility where the user can register, then go to their profile and click a button for a popup to add more qualifications (how every many they need). So far there is no Wordpress plugin that does this....well, I have searched and cant find anything.

2. If a registered user logs in and updates their profile info, the updated info must be marked as pending. An Admin needs to be notified via email of the update about the changes to be made so they can verify it. Only once the Admin is happy with new updated content, do they approve the users updated info. Again...no Wordpress plugin for this.

3. Registered users need the functionality to be able to search for other users. So they can search by name, surname, or any extra custom field. Again....no Wordpress plugin for this.
Click to expand...

1.You're looking for "repeat custom fields".
There are a couple of plugins that do this, some you need to pay for but I think this one is free: http://wp-types.com/documentation/user-guides/
The one I used before I can't remember the name of, was written by a chinese/japanese guy and worked on posts, pages and custom post types. They allow you to create a 'set' of fields and then allow the user the functionality to 'click to add 1 more'.

aah - found it : http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-field-template/

2. Is exactly what wordpress does with posts. You can have authors that create posts but the posts are set as pending and not published. Same way you can have someone create or edit any content and on save, mark the content as 'pending' instead of 'published'.
Using http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Action_Reference/save_post you should be able to set the published flag..

3. 37 seconds of googling later: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/amr-users/screenshots/
last screenshot.
 
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