Guide to tech?

[Mellymonster]

I am just curious, if there is some sorta guide to improve tech skills on Vbulletin? Or even training manual for VB that I can get a hold of?

Not really for me, I'm decent with it, but I could use some tips, and also I'm trying to train a friend to learn it and I know i'm no pro at this, so I would like to better myself, and help my friend to learn.

Thanks,
Melly

[Lynne]

The way I learned was by playing on my test site, reading stuff here (there are a lot of good articles!), and then helping out here. I'm big on learning by helping - I learn real well that way. But it really depends on what you are trying to learn. If you are trying to learn about the control panel, then playing on a test site is a great thing to do. Or, try making a mistake on your live site and then believe me, you will learn real quick! If you are trying to learn to code plugins, download some simple ones here from some noted coders and see how they did it. You can learn a lot from them if you just try to decipher what they did. Then try to write some of your own and fix the mistakes you make along the way.

[Mellymonster]

can you place the vb on a test site with just 1 license? because that would be awesome if ya could lol.

I have created my own VB admin control panel style, designing is my area I pick up the quickest, CSS is something I am nearly pro in, I can understand it as if it were written for me. But I struggle with PHP.

[Lynne]

Yes.

From the license agreement:

If you have a valid Software license, you may set up an additional test forum in order to test code, template and database modifications. To make this clear to us and our license verification procedures, place it in a directory called 'testvb' and be sure to password protect it. It must not be accessible by the general public.

[Mellymonster]

Ok cool... Thanks

so does the site need to be on my domain I use with my VB license?

[Lynne]

Originally Posted by Mellymonster

Ok cool... Thanks

so does the site need to be on my domain I use with my VB license?

I would send in a support ticket over on vb.com to ask that sort of particular question. I would think that using a different domain could cause some problems but it is really a question best answered by the vb.com folks.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by Lynne

I would send in a support ticket over on vb.com to ask that sort of particular question. I would think that using a different domain could cause some problems but it is really a question best answered by the vb.com folks.

Well... one question and maybe you know Lynne so I do not have to search BUT...

Could I have a testvb for 3.6/3.7/3.8 IF I have a valid license or they pretty much meant one extra test forum... I was not 100% sure if it had to be the same version you purchased or if you could do alternate versions?

[Lynne]

I don't really know the answer to that. I am pretty sure they mean a single test forum. The intent, I believe, was to allow you to practice an upgrade on your site prior to doing it on the live site, or test modifications out prior to putting them on your live site. I don't think they ever thought about the developer who may want to develop a modification to work on several different versions (or the moderator who may want to have different versions to be able to help better ).

[Mellymonster]

Ok one more question then, would I need to set up a new database for this if I am using it on the same domain?

[Lynne]

Yes, definitely. You do NOT want to use the same database because then anything you do on the test site will get done to the live site which defeats the purpose of having a testing site.