Forum Home Enhancements - [AJAX] Tabbed Forum Home

Tabbed Forum Home version 1.01

[AJAX] Tabbed Forum Home version 1.5.0 (BETA)

NOTE: Works with both 3.7x and 3.6x

Description: This MOD is for creating a "Tabbed" Forum Home Page to have Categories displayed within Tab containers (similar to what the new Profile System looks like on vb3.7). Please do not confuse this with the Tab Menu System here at vbulletin.org. They are totally different systems. These Tabs actually switch the content without leaving the main forums page.

I wrote the initial Non AJAX version based on reading many requests from members asking about how namepros created their custom tabbed forum home page. The first implementation I did was a request by bbwforums.net (which you can visit to see a working example). I have shared this version with many members already and decided to release it since it seems to be something that a lot of members are interested in.

UPDATE: I have released a BETA [AJAX] version for those that what something a little more robust and easier to install/configure. This Beta version will never go into production tho as version 2.0 will utilize the YUI AJAX Tabview Toolset. It IS stable tho and is currently running on a few live sites.

NOTE: Keep in mind, I wrote this with the assumption that you are fairly well versed and comfortable with editing files/templates and following the flow of things. If there is something you don't understand, PLEASE let me know so that I can help you understand it. This IS NOT a product that a novice can just plug and play and it takes a little bit of time to setup, but its well worth it in the end (if you want a custom unique look to your forum home page)... the next version (Don't ask when, cause its just on the drawing board) will be a product with ACP controls for easy setup

The attached Zip File(s) contain the Files and Instructions necessary to install each version.

DEMO: www.bbwforums.net or www.namepros.com
[Moderator Edit: The first URL has been un-linked as there has been reported malware on that domain. The mod author may edit this notice once the situation has been cleaned.]

Screen Shots: None, visit one or both of the above links as seeing them in action is better than some static image(s)..

Bobster

Change Log

version 1.01 -
tabcontent.js ver 2.2 to support remote links
updated install instructions (both in txt and rtf format)

version 1.5.0 -
BETA [AJAX] version

July 8, 2008 - Added xml file for WOL
Sep 2, 2008 - Updated xml file for WOL

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by ArnyVee

Keep 'em comin'!

It appears that the spoiler box has been glued shut. I can't get any more spoilers to come out!

[ShawneyJ]

wow nice mod indeed

one thing that is annoying is viewing the "whos online list" and see members viewing "forum home", and when you click the link it brings you to tabforumhome.php page, and its a complete mess lol.

will this be fixed or?

[King Kovifor]

I'm not sure what your saying Jaycob. Maybe Bob will understand, but could you explain more?

[it-adrianus]

I don't think that Ajax version could be SEO friendly, as in home source code doesn't appear the main forum index structure.
Non-ajax is absolutely SEO friendly, but not Ajax version.

[Doom Stone]

Originally Posted by jaycob

wow nice mod indeed

one thing that is annoying is viewing the "whos online list" and see members viewing "forum home", and when you click the link it brings you to tabforumhome.php page, and its a complete mess lol.

will this be fixed or?

You have to change the path of the link to your actual forum home page, such as index.php, I'm afraid I can't quite remember where that was and I don't have time to check at the moment, only on for a quick sec, sorry.

[touba]

hi !

very nice MOD, installed ! can't wait v2.0

a small issue from my part : variable 'users browing forums' doesn't appears anymore through forumhome...

any idea what i did wrong ?

thx

edit: sorry, this issue is already posted... i have to wait next version...

[Digital Jedi]

I don't think this has been asked before, but it's crossed my mind a couple of times and I figure, why not. I notice I can pull pretty much any page into the AJAX version of the tabs. Say, for example, I put downloads.php as one of the tab links, it loads it just fine.

Now, the only problem with that is that since downloads.php uses templates and calls the navbar and header, you get duplicates. That's easily enough fixed by simply removing the $header and $navbar variables from the template. Only problem now, is when people visit a do= page of downloads.php, or any page that uses that same template, it loads a new page with no header and template.

So going the long way around to get to the question, is there an if conditional I could use to hide the navbar and header when loaded via AJAX only?

[touba]

Hi Jedi,

Why not doing as for forum_home by creating a new template resuming the code of download.php without the header, navbar and footer ?

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by Digital Jedi

I don't think this has been asked before, but it's crossed my mind a couple of times and I figure, why not. I notice I can pull pretty much any page into the AJAX version of the tabs. Say, for example, I put downloads.php as one of the tab links, it loads it just fine.

Now, the only problem with that is that since downloads.php uses templates and calls the navbar and header, you get duplicates. That's easily enough fixed by simply removing the $header and $navbar variables from the template. Only problem now, is when people visit a do= page of downloads.php, or any page that uses that same template, it loads a new page with no header and template.

So going the long way around to get to the question, is there an if conditional I could use to hide the navbar and header when loaded via AJAX only?

That's one of the draw backs with the module system I coded for v2. It includes everything - and it requires a separate file to work. I've tried to think of a way to effectively resolve this - but I just haven't had the idea that will work.

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by King Kovifor

That's one of the draw backs with the module system I coded for v2. It includes everything - and it requires a separate file to work. I've tried to think of a way to effectively resolve this - but I just haven't had the idea that will work.

I was considering just putting the internal downloads links to open in a separate Pop-Up window, thereby forgoing the need for a Navbar, Header and Footer. I'll probably give that a try.

Too bad you can't put some kind of identifier into the templates or file so that it knows if it's being loaded via AJAX or not.