I love what we are seeing in X3's development. I especially love how manipulative the website pages can be on such a low level (like customized html, css, java, etc.). It's also great where you have recently taken the software. To a place where the less tech-savvy people can get in the game and use it to create their own pages with greater ease. All this while still while keeping things customizable. I do have one concern which has personally worried me since the start of X3. It involves the current menu structure and links. I will try to explain.
Menus are structured such that, by adding prefixing them with numbers will result in that menu item being publicly viewable and positioned in that numbering order. While I have no real problem with this concept (except that it actually creates more work for me), the majority of the real issue are currently rooted with the lack of relative paths within the content area of the pages system. Even in the current version, I see no way of linking a photo (for example) from the current folders gallery in the content area with using an absolute link. The problem with these links is that if a person then decides to rearrange his/her menu listing, all the links will fail, because the menu name (with the number) is part of the link. This is very easy to see in the current version release.
For example, the first things I wanted to do when testing the new version, was to put my menu items first (on the left), so I could easily play around and test things. I don't want to hide the examples just yet, but I want them moved to the right so I can refer to them as needed. So I rename the default menus, for example 10.galleries and 11.examples. From there, it doesn't take long clicking through the galleries and examples pages, to see the endless links that fail because 1.galleries and 2.examples are all hard coded (absolute) in those content sections. This is the exact same type of content that I personally would like to create also, but without the failing links issue when I want to reorder menus.
I don't have the answer here, I just know I'd like to have the freedom to move menus around and arrange when the mood strikes. Sometimes I never feel I have things where I want them. I know spacing out the prefix numbers would help with this issue, but it's not a real answer. I would like to be able to move things without constantly having to worry about what's not gonna work next. This is where the real need for relative links is needed. If we could either use things like ./photo.jpg to refer to a current folders photos. Or be able to hop across directories (classic relative style) for example if we were in a folder called 2015 and wanted to jump to the 2014 folder (both under the same parent), something like ../2014/photo.jpg (up to parent then down adjacent folder. OR maybe if there was a way to eliminate the numbers in the actual links, so that changing the number wouldn't affect the link. Something like /galleries/food/photo.jpg, although I personally believe the "industry standard" relative links format give the most power and freedom, especially the double dots "../" (parent) which allows climbing the directory tree.
Here's another example I find myself in all the time. When I create a new page, I don't want the world to see it, so I give it a name like 'travels", without a number so it's hidden. I now go in and upload photos and create content describing the pictures that will be in the gallery, by including a couple photos in the content to make the read easier on the eyes. Some teaser photos if you will, to lead the viewer through the read and into the gallery. So right now I have to use absolute links to get those photos to show. But the name 'travels', will not be the final name of my menu listing. It will eventually need a number to place it and allow the world to see it. So this means all the photos (within the content) I've added for creation purpose, are actually all gonna fail the second I give my menu a name like '5.travels'. When the page is finished and ready to publish, the actual act of renaming the folder so the world can see it, makes all the links to my photos within the content fail. There's got to be a better way?
Example of Page after menu name change:
The majority of the problem lies in the fact, that as far as I can perceive, there is still no way to add relative paths to things like pictures that may be contained in content. If I'm wrong about this I apologize, but all my recent attempts with the newer version resulted in failed links. I brought the relative path issue up earlier, and I'm sure someday it will be implemented, but for me not having it sooner rather than later will means hundreds of paths to change. In the past with X2 and earlier X3, I've downloaded the appropriate files (like .xml) and made global changes locally and then re-uploaded all those changes. Not sure this will be possible in the revised X3, but hope so, because I have lots of links to fix. I bring all this up now, because it took me a tremendous amount of hours to get my site from X2 to X3 and now with X3 changing, I fear I may be wasting many more hours to a losing end result.
I'm not complaining about anything here, I'm just concerned and want X3's development to grow in a positive way for everyone. I want badly to stick with X3. I love the freedom you have given us to develop what WE want our site to look like. My site is extremely folder heavy, I know that's a burden on the X3 software, but that is what I want. I use huge amounts of content (html), but that's what I'm looking for. I love that you listen to your clients and develop for all their needs. If there's any way I could help brain storm on this, let me know. If you need my site for test anything (like you have in the past), your welcome to do so. I am windows based and I know that has helped you on other issues.
Thanks for listening Karl, sorry so winded and as everyone always says "Keep up the good work" things are looking better each version.
Joe
Some other tiny questions/comments
1. Clicking on a popped-up photo now zooms again. Can this revert back to previous function where it advanced to next photos (no double zoom). I don't want my viewers to have to chase little arrows on the sides unless they desire that.
2. I know you may not have any future for the search form you create for the original X3, but I love it. I would would love to see the development of it at some point advance. This of course could be a low priority item. One major revamp it needs is that it currently brings up pages that are hidden from public view. It needs to NOT reveal links to pages unless they have a number prefix delegating them as for public viewing.
3. Early testings with the the new popup box are positive. Love what I see. It does have a small issue though. It pushes the popup box to the top of the page sometimes, into the close popup area. This means if there is something on the popup page that is clickable, it is impossible to click it, because it will close the popup window. For example, if you go to your YouTube video on the samples popup page. It brings up the you tube video nicely, but there is no way to click on the links (like sharing) at the top of the video, without just closing the popup. Hopefully you can just shift the popup down a little to avoid the clicking collision.