Example - Page List

Database Item List Sources

The Page List and other database item list content sources work using enhancements of the CMS core database item list derived classes, so support filtering and attribute selection in the same way as you could with a core Page List block, but with a lot more choice on what to actually list and how to display it. The edit dialog provides selection of any attribute or property to pull.

The current limitation is that these content sources do not respond to external filter blocks like the core Page List block can. So choice of solution depends on whether you need greater control over the basic list in UCP, or live filtering with the core blocks.

Universal Content Puller can pull from CMS core lists:

  • Calendar Event Lists
  • Express Item Lists
  • Page Lists
  • User Lists

Page List

We used a list of pages as an example in Example - SQL Data. However, in that example what we were really demonstrating was an SQL query. If you need an actual Page List, the example here is usually a far better way to achieve it.

The example below is a list of Universal Content Puller pages, sorted alphabetically with a link to each page, the date added and the page description. It uses the Page List content source, no transform and the List Picker content display.

Example - Data Picker

2020-05-06 19:23:17

Using the Data Picker to format an IP lookup JSON response

Example - From other sites

2020-03-17 12:34:28

An example on pulling content from other sites.

Example - Google Spreadsheet

2021-06-24 17:43:43

Pulling CSV data from a Google Spreadsheet and displaying it as a table

Example - List Picker

2020-04-25 13:45:01

Using the List Picker as an alternative way of displaying an RSS feed.

Example - Page List

2020-05-04 11:04:52

Generate a page list and display it with Universal Content Puller

View settings

User List

The User List content source works in a similar way, but is a bit boring as there is only one user on this site - JohntheFish. 

JohntheFish

2018-06-01 19:19:22

View settings

Express Entity List

Like the User List, the Express List content source is a tricky one to demonstrate because there is no complex Express data on this site. All we have is the standard contact form, used in a demonstration of splitting a form into tabs, so not actually used for contacts. 

Nevertheless, there is a bit of test data from myself and Nour. We also have some helpful spammers who have kindly left contact posts with some content that is not suitable for display. Hence the Express List demonstration below is limited to just First Name, Date and Subject pulled from contact form submissions. All easily picked in the UCP edit dialog. This time the content display is List Picker with a series of tables, heading left.

View settings

Additional Pages

About this Sidebar

Creating a sidebar for a group of pages without messing about with stacks is an easy use-case for Universal Content Puller.

This sidebar is edited once, within the main addon page for Universal Content Puller.

It is then pulled into all UCP sub-pages using a UCP block.

The Content Source is Parent Page, set to pull the Sidebar area from 2 pages from the top. The Content Transform is Selector, set to remove container and row classes that, when unnecessarily nested, could mess up the Bootstrap grid. The Content Display is Plain, which just outputs the transformed text.

In the advanced settings, sanitization is disabled as we trust the source page and don't want to strip out any formatting or functionality from the pulled sidebar.