Code to catch empty lists and nudge user in the right direction.

app/Http/Controllers/TagController.php

@@ -183,20 +183,23 @@ class TagController extends Controller
     }
 
     /**
+     * @param TagRepositoryInterface $repository
      *
+     * @return View
      */
-    public function index()
+    public function index(TagRepositoryInterface $repository)
     {
         $title         = 'Tags';
         $mainTitleIcon = 'fa-tags';
         $types         = ['nothing', 'balancingAct', 'advancePayment'];
+        $count         = $repository->count();
 
         // loop each types and get the tags, group them by year.
         $collection = [];
         foreach ($types as $type) {
 
             /** @var Collection $tags */
-            $tags = auth()->user()->tags()->where('tagMode', $type)->orderBy('date', 'ASC')->get();
+            $tags = $repository->getByType($type);
             $tags = $tags->sortBy(
                 function (Tag $tag) {
                     $date = !is_null($tag->date) ? $tag->date->format('Ymd') : '000000';
@@ -216,7 +219,7 @@ class TagController extends Controller
             }
         }
 
-        return view('tags.index', compact('title', 'mainTitleIcon', 'types', 'collection'));
+        return view('tags.index', compact('title', 'mainTitleIcon', 'types', 'collection','count'));
     }
 
     /**

app/Repositories/Tag/TagRepository.php

@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@ class TagRepository implements TagRepositoryInterface
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function count(): int
+    {
+        return $this->user->tags()->count();
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param Tag $tag
      *
@@ -163,6 +171,16 @@ class TagRepository implements TagRepositoryInterface
         return $tags;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $type
+     *
+     * @return Collection
+     */
+    public function getByType(string $type): Collection
+    {
+        return $this->user->tags()->where('tagMode', $type)->orderBy('date', 'ASC')->get();
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param Tag $tag
      *

app/Repositories/Tag/TagRepositoryInterface.php

@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ interface TagRepositoryInterface
      */
     public function connect(TransactionJournal $journal, Tag $tag): bool;
 
+    /**
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function count(): int;
+
     /**
      * This method destroys a tag.
      *
@@ -83,6 +88,13 @@ interface TagRepositoryInterface
      */
     public function get(): Collection;
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $type
+     *
+     * @return Collection
+     */
+    public function getByType(string $type): Collection;
+
     /**
      * @param Tag $tag
      *

resources/lang/en_US/firefly.php

@@ -968,18 +968,44 @@ return [
     // sandstorm.io errors and messages:
     'sandstorm_not_available'               => 'This function is not available when you are using Firefly III within a Sandstorm.io environment.',
 
-    // empty lists? instructions:
+    // empty lists? no objects? instructions:
-    'empty_accounts_title_asset'           => 'Let\'s create an asset account!',
+    'no_transactions_in_period'             => 'There are no transactions in this period.',
-    'empty_accounts_intro_asset'           => 'You have no asset accounts yet. Asset accounts are your main accounts: your checking account, savings account, shared account or even your credit card.',
+    'no_accounts_title_asset'               => 'Let\'s create an asset account!',
-    'empty_accounts_imperative_asset'      => 'To start using Firefly III you must create at least one asset account. Let\'s do so now:',
+    'no_accounts_intro_asset'               => 'You have no asset accounts yet. Asset accounts are your main accounts: your checking account, savings account, shared account or even your credit card.',
-    'empty_accounts_create_asset'          => 'Create an asset account',
+    'no_accounts_imperative_asset'          => 'To start using Firefly III you must create at least one asset account. Let\'s do so now:',
-    'empty_accounts_title_expense'         => 'Let\'s create an expense account!',
+    'no_accounts_create_asset'              => 'Create an asset account',
-    'empty_accounts_intro_expense'         => 'You have no expense accounts yet. Expense accounts are the places where you spend money, such as shops and supermarkets.',
+    'no_accounts_title_expense'             => 'Let\'s create an expense account!',
-    'empty_accounts_imperative_expense'    => 'Expense accounts are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too, if you want.',
+    'no_accounts_intro_expense'             => 'You have no expense accounts yet. Expense accounts are the places where you spend money, such as shops and supermarkets.',
-    'empty_accounts_create_expense'        => 'Create an expense account',
+    'no_accounts_imperative_expense'        => 'Expense accounts are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too, if you want. Let\'s create one now:',
-    'empty_accounts_title_revenue'         => 'Let\'s create a revenue account!',
+    'no_accounts_create_expense'            => 'Create an expense account',
-    'empty_accounts_intro_revenue'         => 'You have no revenue accounts yet. Revenue accounts are the places where you receive money from, such as your employer.',
+    'no_accounts_title_revenue'             => 'Let\'s create a revenue account!',
-    'empty_accounts_imperative_revenue'    => 'Expense accounts are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too, if you want.',
+    'no_accounts_intro_revenue'             => 'You have no revenue accounts yet. Revenue accounts are the places where you receive money from, such as your employer.',
-    'empty_accounts_create_revenue'        => 'Create a revenue account',
+    'no_accounts_imperative_revenue'        => 'Expense accounts are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too, if you want. Let\'s create one now:',
+    'no_accounts_create_revenue'            => 'Create a revenue account',
+    'no_budgets_title_default'              => 'Let\'s create a budget',
+    'no_budgets_intro_default'              => 'You have no budgets yet. Budgets are used to organise your expenses into logical groups, which you can give a soft-cap to limit your expenses',
+    'no_budgets_imperative_default'         => 'Budgets are the basic tools of financial management. Let\'s create one now:',
+    'no_budgets_create_default'             => 'Create a new budget',
+    'no_categories_title_default'           => 'Let\'s create a category',
+    'no_categories_intro_default'           => 'You have no categories yet. Categories are used to fine tune your transactions and label them with their designated category.',
+    'no_categories_imperative_default'      => 'Categories are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too. Let\'s create one now:',
+    'no_categories_create_default'          => 'Create a new category',
+    'no_tags_title_default'                 => 'Let\'s create a tags',
+    'no_tags_intro_default'                 => 'You have no tags yet. Tags are used to fine tune your transactions and label them with specific keywords.',
+    'no_tags_imperative_default'            => 'Tags are created automatically when you create transactions, but you can create one manually too. Let\'s create one now:',
+    'no_tags_create_default'                => 'Create a new tag',
+    'no_transactions_title_withdrawal'      => 'Let\'s create an expense',
+    'no_transactions_intro_withdrawal'      => 'You have no expenses yet. You should create expenses to start managing your finances.',
+    'no_transactions_imperative_withdrawal' => 'Have you spent some money? Then you should write it down:',
+    'no_transactions_create_withdrawal'     => 'Create a new expense',
+    'no_transactions_title_deposit'         => 'Let\'s create some income',
+    'no_transactions_intro_deposit'         => 'You have no recorded income yet. You should create income entries to start managing your finances.',
+    'no_transactions_imperative_deposit'    => 'Have you received some money? Then you should write it down:',
+    'no_transactions_create_deposit'        => 'Create a new deposit',
+    'no_transactions_title_transfers'       => 'Let\'s create a transfer',
+    'no_transactions_intro_transfers'       => 'You have no transfers yet. When you move money between asset accounts, it is recorded as a transfer.',
+    'no_transactions_imperative_transfers'  => 'Have you moved some money around? Then you should write it down:',
+    'no_transactions_create_transfers'      => 'Create a new transfer',
+
 
 ];

resources/views/budgets/index.twig

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
         </div>
     </div>
     {% if budgets.count == 0 and inactive.count == 0 %}
-        {% include 'empty.budgets' %}
+        {% include 'partials.empty' with {what: 'default', type: 'budgets',route: route('budgets.create')} %}
     {% endif %}
     <div class="row">
     {% for budget in budgets %}

resources/views/categories/index.twig

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+    {% if categories.count > 0 %}
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-lg-12 col-md-12 col-sm-12">
                 <div class="box">
@@ -28,15 +29,13 @@
                 </div>
             </div>
         </div>
+    {% else %}
+        {% include 'partials.empty' with {what: 'default', type: 'categories',route: route('categories.create')} %}
+    {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
 {% block styles %}
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/bootstrap-sortable.css" type="text/css" media="all"/>
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block scripts %}
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/lib/Chart.bundle.min.js"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/charts.defaults.js"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/charts.js"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/lib/bootstrap-sortable.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/categories/index.js"></script>
 {% endblock %}

resources/views/partials/empty.twig

@@ -2,19 +2,19 @@
     <div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 col-lg-offset-3 col-md-offset-3">
         <div class="box box-success">
             <div class="box-header with-border">
-                <h3 class="box-title">{{ ('empty_accounts_title_'~what)|_ }}</h3>
+                <h3 class="box-title">{{ ('no_'~type~'_title_'~what)|_ }}</h3>
             </div>
 
             <div class="box-body table-responsive">
                 <p>
-                    {{ ('empty_accounts_intro_'~what)|_ }}
+                    {{ ('no_'~type~'_intro_'~what)|_ }}
                 </p>
                 <p>
-                    {{ ('empty_accounts_imperative_'~what)|_ }}
+                    {{ ('no_'~type~'_imperative_'~what)|_ }}
 
                 </p>
                 <p style="text-align: center;">
-                    <a class="btn btn-lg btn-success" href="{{ route('accounts.create', [what]) }}">{{ ('empty_accounts_create_'~what)|_ }}</a>
+                    <a class="btn btn-lg btn-success" href="{{ route }}">{{ ('no_'~type~'_create_'~what)|_ }}</a>
                 </p>
             </div>
 

resources/views/tags/index.twig

@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
             </div>
         </div>
     </div>
+    {% if count == 0 %}
+        {% include 'partials.empty' with {what: 'default', type: 'tags',route: route('tags.create')} %}
+    {% else %}
         <div class="row">
             {% for type in types %}
                 <div class="col-lg-4">
@@ -68,8 +71,8 @@
                     </div>
                 </div>
             {% endfor %}
-
         </div>
+    {% endif %}
 
 {% endblock %}
 {% block scripts %}

resources/views/transactions/index-all.twig

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+    {% if journals.count == 0 %}
+        {% include 'partials.empty' with {what: what, type: 'transactions',route: route('transactions.create', [what])} %}
+    {% else %}
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12">
                 <div class="box">
@@ -17,6 +20,7 @@
                 </div>
             </div>
         </div>
+    {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
 {% block scripts %}
     <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/transactions/list.js"></script>

resources/views/transactions/index-date.twig

@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+    {% if journals.count == 0 %}
+        <div class="row">
+            <div class="col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12">
+                <p class="well">
+                    {{ 'no_transactions_in_period'|_ }}
+                </p>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    {% else %}
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12">
                 <div class="box">
@@ -17,6 +26,7 @@
                 </div>
             </div>
         </div>
+    {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
 {% block scripts %}
     <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/transactions/list.js"></script>

resources/views/transactions/index.twig

@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+
+
+    {% if journals.count == 0 %}
+        {% include 'partials.empty' with {what: what, type: 'transactions',route: route('transactions.create', [what])} %}
+    {% else %}
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-lg-10 col-md-10 col-sm-12">
                 <div class="box">
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@
             </div>
 
         </div>
+    {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
 {% block scripts %}
     <script type="text/javascript" src="js/ff/transactions/list.js"></script>