How to prevent select user groups from reordering structures

Question

I need to create a plugin that prevents select user groups from reordering a Structure content type in the Entries listing. I could quickly do this by just hiding the a.move.icon element, but I worry about the longevity of this solution. For example, if this class were to change then the plugin wouldn't hide the element any longer.

Is there a better, more long-term fix that someone might recommend here?

Answer 1

You should be able to ensure that the elements aren't moved by using the structures.onBeforeMoveElement hook in a plugin:

public function init()
{
    craft()->on('structures.beforeMoveElement', function(Event $event)
    {
        $user = craft()->userSession->getUser();

        if (!$user->isInGroup('allowedGroup'))
        {
            $event->performAction = false;
        }
    });
}

I've had a quick look through the source but I'm not 100% sure if this is also run when an element's parent is changed. I would think it is.

---

You could also create your own custom user permission that can be assigned to individual users or multiple groups for more flexibility:

public function init()
{
    craft()->on('structures.beforeMoveElement', function(Event $event)
    {
        $user = craft()->userSession->getUser();

        if (!$user->can('pluginName-moveElements'))
        {
            $event->performAction = false;
        }
    });
}

public function registerUserPermissions()
{
    return array(
        'pluginName-moveElements' => array('label' => Craft::t('Move Elements in Structures')),
    );
 }

Answer 2

Impossible out of the box – there's no permission setting for ordering Structures. For now, I'd add a feature request and hack it in.

The easiest solution is probably to use the CP Body Classes and CP CSS plugins to hide the a.move.icon element (like you say) based on the current user's user group affiliation(s).

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about the longevity of such a hack; if it ever breaks (due to future DOM structure changes in the CP) it's probably not a huge problem, beyond the fact that your user group will be able to reorder Structures while you find another solution. Also, with a little luck your feature request gets implemented sooner or later.