Iconic
 

What is it?
Iconic is a style that had two goals in mind:

1. Reduce overall HTTP request overheads from loading tons of images
2. Make the icons way more tolerant to style color changes.

I achieved both by using a package called Font Awesome by Dave Gandy (http://fontawesome.io/)


Big deal, what does that even matter?
I?ll take a moment to tell you, assuming you?ve done everything else possible to optimize the software, reducing HTTP requests is the next best thing you can do.

The forum home
The default forumhome page, on a default installation, has about 29 HTTP requests. The broad majority of these requests are going to be for your images on your site/domain. Browsers are limited by the number of request that a single domain is allowed to download at the same time. It?s a big reason why using a CDN for your js and images is such a huge improvement.
The Iconic forumhome has 15 requests, on a default installation. The only _tiny_ downside is that we added 50~kb of css/font, as a ONE TIME cache. We?ve replaced the majority of the /images/ folder with a single call, on an external CDN.



Future versions

• Finish the threadbit template, there is a lot of work to be done here
• Clean & Organize the CSS
• Polish remaining templates
  • Member Info
  • UserCP
  • Calendar
  • Advanced Search
  • Blogs
  • CMS
• Release brand free version
• More attachment type support, if requested

Known Issues

• The fonts look a bit pixelated in chrome and IE8 in some places.
  • For Chrome please let me know where these are occurring that bother you and I?ll work on sorting it out on an icon by icon basis in the style.
• Multi-quote isn?t supported right now.
• Double Click to Mark Read (on forumhome) isn?t working. Requires an image to be clicked on.
• Double Click to Lock topics likely won?t work, due to loss of image

Change log

Beta 0.5.1

• Fixed a threadbit issue, where the background was still popping up and the icon wouldn't show right.
• Fixed search_threadbit template for above issue
• fixed iconic.css for above issue

Beta 0.5.0

• FontAwesome update to 4.1.0, means new icons
• Threadbit is updated now, please report any issues with it
• search_threadbit has some of the above threadbit changes, but not all.
• postbit reported icon is now the bomb icon, instead of the triangle.
• postbit new post icon is now different.
• Added icons to showthread template menus
• Fixed issues with the forumhome_levelX_* templates
• bbcode_quote template has some updates, still WIP
• fixed issue with sticky threads
• Fixed forumhome birthday icon
• Fixed forumhome calendar icon
• updated forumdisplay to reflect the new threadbit updates
• Updated the attachment icon's a bit thanks to the new font awesome update

Beta 0.4.0

• Fixed Quick Edit, postbit_legacy template updated
• Moved CSS out of additional.css to iconic.css
• Updated headinclude_bottom to reflect this change
• forumdisplay template got some minor tweaks

Alpha 0.3.2

• Fixed an issue where short announcements the bullhorn overflowed.

Alpha 0.3.1

• Fixed an issue with the threadbits showing the wrong post icon, TL:DR I?m stupid.

Alpha 0.3.0

• First release

Terms of Use, In plain English:

• You are free to use the style on any vBulletin site you wish.
• Please leave my copyright intact, if you wish to remove the branding, please support my work*
• You are not required to leave the link back to font awesome in place, per the license terms of the font awesome project.
• You won't hold me liable for damages, because of the style.

* I'll work out something for branding free when we get to non-beta. If you'd like to support me now, please send me a PM.


Ugh enough already, where are the screen shots right?

IE:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2014/04/28.pnghttp://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/IE-2.png

Firefox:
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/FF-1.png
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/FF-2.png
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/FF-3.png

Chrome:
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/CH-1.png
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/CH-2.png
http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/preview/CH-3.png

Current Live demo

This is a quick and dirty comparsion of the default forumhome, and the iconic forum home.

Semi-local machine:
Default Style
Attachment 148889
Iconic
Attachment 148890
A live site
Default Style
Attachment 148892
Iconic
Attachment 148891

If you look at the live site, we go from 5.57 seconds (no cache) to 1.97 seconds (also no cache).

Zachery can u upload your png icons to ? thank you for the style is very clear

There are no PNG icons, this is all done with CSS and embedded fonts :)

Really cool. Innovative idea and execution.

I added some info I forgot to copy and paste into the opening, also updated the first post with some quick screen grabs for before/after comparisons.

Zachery nice work very fast it was

Page Speed Grade:
(76%)

YSlow Grade:
(92%)

Total number of requests: 34 before

now with your style is

(94%)

YSlow Grade:
(92%)

Total number of requests: 23

Total page size: 248KB increased from 161KB
Page load time: 3.19s it was 6.96 before

Even though your initial page size increases a tiny bit, the CDN helps mitigate that mostly.

Its only 2 requests :)

Would this be more beneficial for a mobile style if built for such?

Mobile support is so so, more modern mobile browsers do well with it.

The primary benefits on the skin is that it should adapt with your stylevar choices for the most part.

I should have some more uipdates for this sometime next week.

If this is the same as default why install it if both the same

Huh? the customizations in this style, are to the templates. They'll pickup any changes you make to your stylevars. The point of this style was to reduce overall http requests and work with an administrators already in place style customizations, more or less.

So it is to replace default style and helps to speed up all other styles you have is that what you mean?

Its a style, do with it as you want, within my terms of use.

Check out the demo site if you want to see how its working out for them: http://styles.zacherywoods.com/iconic/demo.php

Seen the demo but my post above would that be right

Awesome work Zachery, Thanks..

Ditto, Nuff' Said :cool:.

I'm using the default theme, will installing this overwrite all the customisations I have done to the default images for forum read etc ?

More or less, if you install it as a new style, it won't do anything to your customizations, but your customizations won't show.

Beta 0.4.0 Points of Interest
- Started working on the threadbit and forumdisplay templates.
- I moved the css out of additional.css into its own css template.
- I fixed an issue with the quick editor not loading, I forgot an id.

Hope to get a release out this weekend

Nice work @Zachery! :) I have already started the process of implementing some of this.

Its Is in Still Beta Stage? Have any plan when will be released full version?

I have get error on 4.2.2 PL1

Out-of-Date Custom Templates Found!

There are currently 1 customized template(s) that need to be updated or reverted. Some sections of vBulletin may not function if you do not do this!

forumhome_forumbit_level2_nopost
Default Template Updated in vBulletin 4.2.1 Alpha 1 by vBulletin Solutions
Your Custom Template Last Edited in vBulletin 4.2.0 by Zachery

This file was created using a different version of vBulletin from the one you are running.
Your version: 4.2.2
File version: 4.2.0

It should be fine, you can hit ignore version, or save the template.

How to fix Out-of-Date Custom Templates Found?

Out-of-Date Custom Templates Found!

There are currently 1 customized template(s) that need to be updated or reverted. Some sections of vBulletin may not function if you do not do this!

forumhome_forumbit_level2_nopost
Default Template Updated in vBulletin 4.2.1 Alpha 1 by vBulletin Solutions
Your Custom Template Last Edited in vBulletin 4.2.0 by Zachery

Yes it is flagging it because it is from an earlier version but nothing to worry about. It will flag anything not showing the current template set version dates. With most that are flagged, nothing needs to be done and you can dismiss it. It flags all so you can check for any differences from mods and styles you did..

Compare side by side and you can see any changes or additions to the templates. Looking at them is a good way to learn as well. You can pick out the different coding added for themes and mods over time and get to really know your site and vB.

Going to ship without the threadbit template, other things kept me busy. but still, progress :)

Notes: please make sure to revert additional.css, or remove the iconic css, since it is now moved into iconic.css

Now release, the old version is in the alpha.zip file, and the newer version is in the beta.zip file

Does not fixed Out-of-Date Custom Templates Found Showing On Admin CP.

No, I didn't get to that, but its not an issue.

To fix it, edit and save the template, or ignore the warning.

It'll be fixed in the next version.

I hope to get a bit more of this done either this upcoming week, or the weekend after. Will depend on how busy things are.

Thanks with this style as well as having members have to login to see board,
my bandwidth is down by 75 percent even though I get the same amount of hits.

Nominated....

Nominated for Mod of the Month :)

Zach, I may be wrong but I've always thought it to be an issue if a directory didn't have at least an empty index.html in it. I noticed your "http://styles.zacherywoods.com" folder shows file structure. Am I or have I been thinking wrong on this? Is it better or does it matter if there is no index.html file in all folders?

Uh, I guess I forgot an html file there, so nothing majorly bad, just not good practice.

Have any plan when will be released full version?

When its done, I'm currently working on this as a side project, so its really only as time permits.

This Style will become MOTM for June 2014 , I have already voted on this Style !

Joe's addon is also pretty good, tough month!