Forum Style - Lightweight Style for Small Screen Devices (cell phone, iphone, mobile, android)
 

A lightweight *forum only style aimed at small screen devices such as Windows Smartphones, Nokias and even iPhones. It has VERY low bandwidth requirements - 15 times less on my site - 20K as opposed to 300K for forumhome.

*forum only - I have done a very small amount of rough work on CMS templates, a simple single column CMS *could* be created to work with this style without too much effort. However I am not sure if you can have a different CMS layout dependent on which style you are using?

This is an update to the mobile style I have previously released.

The changes are predominantly aesthetic to take advantage of larger screens.

It is also much easier to change colour schemes by editing the commented CSS file.


Demo: http://vbdev.org/forum.php?styleid=7

This is a a lightweight style and as such has much reduced functionality/information over the default vBulletin style.

Install instructions:

• Firstly, if upgrading, I recommend installing this as a new style rather than overwriting your previous install. This way you get to test it first without trashing your existing style.
• BACKUP YOUR EXISTING lightweight.css.php FILE IF YOU HAVE CSS CUSTOMISATIONS
• Download ZIP file
• Unzip to a local/temp directory
• Edit lightweight.css.php file to customise colours if required
• Upload contents of the upload directory in the zip file folder to your forum root.
• Install style XML via Style Manager in your ADMINCP
• **Install and configure "LightWeight Style Options"
• See post 2 for a FAQ
• Click "Mark as Installed"
• Test it out
• Leave a rating
• Leave feedback
• Enjoy checking your site from your mobile phone without the need to pinch/zoom/wait etc...

Version Control:

1.0.0 - 25 AUG 2010 - Initial Release on vBulletin.org
1.0.1 - 26 AUG 2010 - Fixed "Mark All Forums Read" link in Search results. Released Lightweight Style Options to customise this
1.0.2 - 21 MAR 2011 - Updated to 4.1.2, removed short tags from CSS, fixed some issues discovered since last release, added some stuff.
1.0.3 - 16 DEC 2011 - Updated to 1.0.3, tried to fix all known issues. Nothing new. If you have updated your site as bugs have been found, probably no need to upgrade. But if you're upgrading your site from to 4.1.9, might be worthwhile.
1.0.3a - 16 DEC 2011 - remove test ad hook code accidently left in postbit_legacy template :o

Branding Free:

The style is free to use. However I ask that you keep links in the footer. If you want to remove them - send me a donation of an amount you can afford, or that you think is fair/reasonable, it's up to you how much.

F.A.Q.

Q. How can I integrate Abe1's Post Thanks Hack?
A. See here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...43#post2305643


Q. There is no style chooser - how do I get back to the default style?
A. Install and configure "Lightweight Style Options"

Q. What bits of the CSS change which colours?
A. Download and unzip the attached "CSS Image Basic Map.zip" file to a temp directory, open "css-map.html" and hover your mouse over the section you're interested in changing the colour of - it will tell you the variable in the lightweight.css.php file to edit. At the moment, it only shows the background colour, but it is intuitive to work out the foreground colour (var name ends in FC as opposed to BG) If you need to get more granular, you're on your own :o


Q. I Have VBAdvanced installed in integration m ode and it messes up this style.
A. as per post https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=167 with a minor chnage, create a plugin:
Product: vBulletin
Hook Location: Global Complete
Title: Disable vBAdvanced for Lightweight Style
Execution Order: 2
Code:
IMPORTANT - Make sure to replace "x" with the ID to your lightweight style.

Q. Can we resize the images?
A. A simple javascript image resizer can be added to the header template. check the following post (and the one immediately after it) https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...07#post2184007)

Alternatively, you can use replacement variables to turn images into links, check this post: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...nt#post2097304

*** ALL OF THE FOLLOWING BLOCK SHOULD BE RESOLVED IN THE LATEST VERSION 1.0.3 ***
Q. The CSS is incomplete, I see
What's up with that?
A. I used short tages in the CSS.PHP file which may not be enabled on all systems. [s]In the next release I'll update to not use these. In teh mean time, unzip and upload the attached lightweight.css.longtag.zip file and use it instead.[/s] Install the latest CSS version - this has been fixed

Q. Could you use the same paging system like vb standard styles in thread view so that user can choose first/last page instead of navigating it one by one?
A. Yes! It will get included when I release again, in the mean time check out post 103 (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=103)

Q. The editor is messed up in 4.1.4 - how to fix?
A. See https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=397 for a fix.

Q. The option to hide "What's Going On" / "Who's Online" isn't working with the 'Lightweight Style Options' add-on
A. See this post for a fix: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...31#post2264831

Q. The PM list is showing "Array" rather than the sender
A. See this post: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...97#post2271597

Q. My New Reply page is screwed up with vertical cmilies and stuff
A. Delete the contents of the editor_clientscript template and replace the contents of the editor_ckeditor template with that of the editor_toolbar_off template

Q, Birthdays are just showing as "Array" on forumhome?
A. See thread https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...72#post2273172

Q. I see Array instead of thread tags?
A. See post https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=618

Q. I see <br /> instead of line breaks when quoting, full reply
A. See post: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=617
if this doesn;t work, check this post also************************************************** ******************************

Q. How do I get rid of all those template out of date messages in control panel home?
A. You could edit and save each one without actually making changes or you could run the following query on your database:

UPDATE template SET version = '4.1.9', mergestatus = 'none' WHERE styleid=XX;

change XX to the styleid number of the mobile style and 4.1.9 to whatever the version number currently is.

########## TO BE FIXED IN NEXT RELEASE VERSION 1.0.4##########
Q. How do I add 'Next' 'Prev' in Pagenav?
A. See post https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...73#post2280973

This looks very smart Dartho, I have installed it. I've submitted a test post and when you hit reply it quotes the text which is great, once I type in my message and hit submit the post submits however it does not return you to the forum, instead you get the quote box with your text just sitting waiting on being submitted.

I can not reproduce this behaviour on my test site vbdev.org.

What type of device are you using to submit the thread?

I notice when you choose the light theme you cant change back?
That sucks.
Guess i have to hack the theme a bit.
Still i like it. Good for my mobile.

tagged and thanks

I'm going to release an addon product which enables such options. In the mean time have a look in the header template and search for

and replace with

where xxx is your default styleid. change the href to suit your site also.

There are 2 instances that need to be edited as described above

Cheers Dartho.
Great option mate. Big thumbs up.

nice :)

Are there big changes since version 2.11?

Not really, but there has been some renaming of variables etc and reversioning. When I release the new Style Options add-on, you should uninstall the beta versions and install the released versions. As of now, this only applies to people who helped test on my test site.

Whoa, very slick

very very good thanks

installed, look prety cool

enable post thanks button its look greats

maybe its bug i am using nokia e71 browser
- in forumdisplay & showthread right border is overlap outer border.
- in showthread no link back to forumdisplay | -home => sub forum 1 => sub forum 2
- in forumdisplay & showthread page link maybe u can create like default template | <<first .. 5 6 7 8 9 .. last>>

thanks

Hi djawir,
I can not see overlap on my device, a screen shot may help if possible?
There is always link back by clicking/tapping "Up" at bottom of page
Yes - that may be OK with this style. Originally was for small screen so I was trying to conserve space

Thanks for the feedback

here is screenshot on my device nokia e71 using default browser

Can someone please help...
I am getting the following error When I try updating the Header Template as described above: adding child to non-existent node!

Being told the 'Mark Forums Read' button doesn't work again...?

I am fearing that I already know the answer to this question - is it possible to have a vBulletin 3.x version of this mobile style? With all due respect, the current version is terrible, aesthetically and from a UI perspective. While this style isn't perfect, it is miles better than what is currently available for 3.x. I'd commission someone to convert this style to 3.x and make my modifications as moving to 4.x seems like imprudent, at least no earlier than 4.1 at best.

Make sure you put in the PC style ID in the XXX. ALSO! Make sure all of this is highlighted:

and not just the first line when you replace the code. BTW there are TWO lines in the template and not one.

It works in Forumhome, but after checking I see that I did not update it in the search results.

To correct, edit the search_resultlist template and replace

with

You would get that error if you have not made the edits's exactly as described.

Also, Fungsten is correct - there are 2 instances that should be edited

Find:
and replace with:

Thank you
Regards

<a href="showthread.php?t=249339" title="vBulletin.org Forum - Mod 249339">Lightweight Style Options</a> released. If you made edits to include a link to teh default style, you can revert those edits and install this product.

Also released update to fix Mark Forums Read error on Search Results page

Dartho, I use a DroidX for mobile browsing...it's a monster huge screen so results may be atypical, but here's what I see.

• Colors and fonts are great
• Using it with your new mobile style options is very helpful, particularly for the 'return to normal style' link
• It needs a spacer at the top. Currently the 'log out' button goes beyond the top edge of the style
• 'Edit' and 'Reply' buttons overlap text...not badly, but very noticeable.

More feedback as I see it, but it's excellent for first release. Thank you for sharing with us.

very nice 4.0 mobile style
/me tags this one

is there anyone out there who can optimize the cms section?

Hello
Thanks dartho for this amazing add-ons
am using from 3.x

but i have problem with Arabic language in this Plug-ins
i cant logging to the forum because the language cant be read!
even i change the encoding in the [lightweight-vbulletin-style-1.0.1] in the first line:

to UTF-8 also can't read

when i change encoding to [windows-1256] still cant read any thing but the logging is done!
The encoding [windows-1256] better for Arabic language
How can solve this problem because i like this style and use it.

Thanks

Hi omanmoon.net, I know very little of the complexities of encoding and translation between languages (among many, many other things :) ), but I'm sure someone else here probably does and can hopefully help.

I test primarily under IE, FF, Windows Mobile 6.5 (PocketIE), Opera Mini, Opera for Mobile, Chrome, Safari and have just loaded up an Android emulator and an iPhone emulator. I'm trying to find an emulator I can use for Nokia phones to test this further ...

Are you able to update firmware / browser software?

any way thanks man for your good work
i will try with it :)

Stupid question:

I use vBadvanced CMPS. Obviously, with the mobile style, it looks horrible. Would there be an easy way to hide the CMPS from users using this mobile style? I'm thinking some line in the index.php file to say if style=XXX then http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=forums.php. Anybody do anything like this?

Think I answered my own question, at least one way of doing it.

Edit adv_portal template for the new mobile style. Replace all of it with:

Works great.

ya this style work perfect under mobile browser emulator already test it on opera mini emulator, but under opera mini in real phone (nokia E71 firmware 410.21.010) its still overlap right border. ill try test using diferent phone browser and report here.

can u change up button to breadcum navigation? many user in my forum confused about it :D and page link for first & last page.

my last request is integrated post thanks button :D

thanks

Firstly, let me thank you for this style Dartho as I will be using it once I upgrade to vb4 this week-end.

Some issue, I experienced on your test board vbdev.org using a HTC Desire.

- I am able to register but there is no CSS loaded, it is pure text without anything style/color/formatting.
- The page get loaded first and then, it gets formatted. Shouldn't the CSS be loaded first before the data, so the user see straight away a perfectly rendered page?
- I am able to post a new thread but I am unable to reply to my own thread nor to any other ones.
- It is great to be able to report posts but I believe that the button should be located somewhere else. Because it is currently just next to the reply one so it could easily be hit by mistake. I would suggest to either locate it on the right side, while leaving the reply one on the left. Or another option could be to had the report post button, in the after the message date

One thing that I cannot test right now as I still run 3.8, is it possible to perform admin/mod tasks (i.e.: delete as spam, etc.)

Thanks
Ludo

Hi Coume,

I'll make the leap to vb4 on my main site one of these days - just haven;t been brave enough yet :o

1. I haven't actually adpated the registration templates yet - what you saw was the default vBulletin template with the vbulletin CSS stipped out.

2. This is normal behaviour
3. What happens when you try? Did you make sure your test replies were over 10 characters?
4. I'll have a look

There are minimal mod tasks available - deleting/editing posts and threads and issuing infractions are about it

is this iphone version out now?
http://vbdev.org/forum.php?styleid=4

2. This is normal behaviour
Erm, so it was my fault as they were less than 10 chars. I just tried a 10 char+ one and it worked. Apologize about the false alert.
I would have never guessed it was due to being less than 10 chars as it kept looping to the reply form but no error message is getting displayed to let you know why it is looping (i.e.: less than 10 chars.)

Thanks

If I may put a request/suggestion through, I would love to see the "Delete as spam" functionality added because it is unfortunately, the one that my mods and I use the more often. Our posters are very good respecting forum rules but once in a while, you get these spam outburst and when you are unable to access a computer, the only way to stop it ASAP is using my mobile.

Cheers,
Ludo
P.S.: The CMS support seems to be moving on nicely :)

No - that's just me having a test. It's a looooong way from being usable

today found error on nokia 5530 browser

when open showthread page get error /clientscript/post_thanks.js line:27
error: ReferenceError: Can't find variable: vB_Default_Timeout