Sincere request for assistance...

[squeedgie]

Hello. I haven't bought vBulletin yet. I don't like to buy things before I understand them completely. I must say that I have rather healthy and somewhat robust knowledge of HTML.

Anyways, my question is very broad in nature.

I want to know how to make this board bend to my bidding; to customize it as much as I'm capable of, and what I am asking for is a finger pointing to perhaps a site, or a person/guru, or something related that can teach me how I can make this thoroughly customized board using my CSS and PHP (PHP is something I have no knowledge of). So please, I am getting desperate since every board I have gone to doesn't know where to point me. I frequent many other vB boards, and it drives me insane because I want to know how they did this or that, and I look at the source codes, but I find myself running in circles. I mean, does anyone know what I mean?

WHERE DO I START?!

The basics are simple, and I understand them, but I want to make this board really nice and customized. Sure, it may take a while, but I am willing to learn, willing to read anything there is to offer so that I may create a board that I'm happy with. Some say I am anal retentive when it comes to my webmastering work.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate any help I may be given after the posting of this thread...

[filburt1]

I don't understand; what specifically do you need help with? Have you tried playing with the admin demo at http://www.vbulletin.com/ ?

[squeedgie]

Oh man, endlessly.

The thing is, I just want to know how to really go in depth with the customization of a vB. vB sure as hell doesn't give you a manual for THAT. As I said, I frequent many vBs and it kills me because each one has a distinct look, each one, I have no idea how they achieve.

[Erwin]

It's all just plain HTML in templates. If you can code HTML, you can modify vB to look like whatever you want it to look like. Plus there are many third party styles you can purchase that modifies your site instantly too.

[squeedgie]

;) The HTML coding is not what I have the problems with. I am just wondering if there was any things I could read that provides the codes and template modifications that can alter the look, since when it comes to the modification of vB, I don't know where to start. Is there anything I could read?

[filburt1]

There isn't any official documentation on how to use the template system (other than how to access parts of it). There are FAQs scattered around.

[Gomdorian]

i am not by any length a hacker, in fact i have just started to learn all sorts of new things, but here is a program that helped me do new crap with html www.editplus.com/ .......i think

[Erwin]

Open up a test board, and experiment. It all comes down to experience and first-hand knowledge.

[squeedgie]

So your saying that there is nothing around that says:

To do [this feature]...add [this code]

To do [this feature]...add [this code]

To do [this feature]...add [this code]

To do [this feature]...add [this code]

To do [this feature]...add [this code]

[Erwin]

For step-by-step instructions for templates, try www.vbulletintemplates.com

For file hacks, use this site.

[squeedgie]

*mouth drop :D

Thank you, really.

What ARE File hacks?

[Erwin]

File hacks are PHP file edits, that involved changing the actual PHP files rather than just the templates.

[Talisman]

squeedgie,

There just isn't a one, simple document that tells how you to customize everything on your board. The way this works, almost anything someone can think of can be programmed in by changing the source code (tables, php files, templates) and adding snazzy graphics. Some of the changes are really simple; others are quite extensive.

You're asking us to point you to a site or something that will tell you how to customize your board. Well, that's what vb.org is. You've already found it. But we can't give you a simple "how-to" instruction manual because the possibilities are way too huge. There are literally thousands of "hacks" you can use to change anything you want..... and they can be found all over this site.

To answer your question about file hacks..... that's just what you described in your earlier post. Look around this site and you'll see them everywhere..... (and they are very well organized in these forums by how they function).

All the individual hacks come with install directions (like you described)..... 1 - go to this file, 2 - find this bit of code, 3 - replace it with that bit of code..... and so on. So once you set up a vB board of your own, come here to look around for something you want to use there. Start off with simple hacks so you learn how they work..... then use the search feature to find specific changes you want to make..... and ask for help when you get stuck.

The more you do this, the easier it gets. And that's how you end up with a totally customized board.

[Gavin B.]

It's a pretty opened ended question, but like others have described, once you work out what you want to change, then you search for a similar "hack" on this site - and it contains instructions on which files you much open up in a text editor and modify to make the hack work with your particular board.

It's like saying "how to I modify my car", you can do whatever you like to it really, YOU just have to decide what your goals are exactly.

If you have problems, you can always ask on a site like this and people are more than willing to install hacks for you in exchange for money (or some other service like hosting or whatever). :)