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

[michaelsilvia]

Thanks!

I think it is ON by default. After it was installed on my forum it started rotating.

[dieselpowered]

I have not installed this only because...well there are a lot of changes to be made, however, I just wanted to say this is an EXCELLENT mod...voted!!

It may have been mentioned, however, will there ever be a time this will be able to be done with a product?

[VGPelega]

I have this all installed and working like a treat, apart from one minor minor issue, well kinda a big issue but bet its really small and simple to fix.

Basically it loads all the tabs fine, and I can select them, but after I select any tab, all the other tabs disappear and it loads the right category, but all the tabs disappear.

I would really love to mark this as Installed, but until I am using it I won't mark as installed.

I was starting to read through the posts to see if someone had the same issue as me, but got to page 8 before I gave up. Is there something that causes the tabs to disappear after selecting one?

EDIT: I found the error, I had simply placed the navigation inside the first Tab container. Was a simple error I noticed after taking a 40 min break from 4 hours of setting up over 30 forums and categories.

Fantastic Hack, and very much appreciated, and I will look into the vbSEO aspect of it, and let you know how that goes.

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by xtremeoff-road

I have not installed this only because...well there are a lot of changes to be made, however, I just wanted to say this is an EXCELLENT mod...voted!!

It may have been mentioned, however, will there ever be a time this will be able to be done with a product?

Yes, version 2 is being worked on now and will be a product along with ACP Controls for setup and configuration.

Originally Posted by VGPelega

I have this all installed and working like a treat, apart from one minor minor issue, well kinda a big issue but bet its really small and simple to fix.

Basically it loads all the tabs fine, and I can select them, but after I select any tab, all the other tabs disappear and it loads the right category, but all the tabs disappear.

I would really love to mark this as Installed, but until I am using it I won't mark as installed.

I was starting to read through the posts to see if someone had the same issue as me, but got to page 8 before I gave up. Is there something that causes the tabs to disappear after selecting one?

EDIT: I found the error, I had simply placed the navigation inside the first Tab container. Was a simple error I noticed after taking a 40 min break from 4 hours of setting up over 30 forums and categories.

Fantastic Hack, and very much appreciated, and I will look into the vbSEO aspect of it, and let you know how that goes.

Wished I would have been on earlier.. I've actually done that myself and could have told ya right away lol.. glad you figured it out though! No issues that I am aware of with vbSEO....

[khb1st]

I am trying to use this wonderful mod, but probably should be sleeping by now,
anyway

I do not get the "tabs", only underlined forum names, that link to nothing

I am having trouble understanding which variables go where
<li><a href="#" rel="tcontent1" class="selected">Tab 1 Name</a></li>
href="#"....forum id # ??
rel="tcontent1"...??????
Tab 1 Name.......name of forum area ??

<!-- Tabbed Forum Home – START Tab 2 Content Layout -->
<div id="tcontent2" class="tabcontent">
id="tcontent2...........same as above ?????????????
class="tabcontent".............?????????????

thanks

these are probably very easy answers, that I cannot see at the moment

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by khb1st

I am trying to use this wonderful mod, but probably should be sleeping by now,
anyway

I do not get the "tabs", only underlined forum names, that link to nothing

I am having trouble understanding which variables go where
<li><a href="#" rel="tcontent1" class="selected">Tab 1 Name</a></li>
href="#"....forum id # ??
rel="tcontent1"...??????
Tab 1 Name.......name of forum area ??

<!-- Tabbed Forum Home – START Tab 2 Content Layout -->
<div id="tcontent2" class="tabcontent">
id="tcontent2...........same as above ?????????????
class="tabcontent".............?????????????

thanks

these are probably very easy answers, that I cannot see at the moment

In this part, you only need to be concerned with the Red and Blue colors. The Red (Tab Names) are the text you want to appear on the Tabs themselves. The Blue highlited text identifies the DIV Containers that will contain the data (See both Code Areas)...

class="tabcontent" is part of the CSS File that determines the CSS portion that is used for the particular element.

	<!-- Tabbed Forum Home Tabs Layout -->
	<ul id="forumtabs" class="shadetabs"> 
	<li><a href="#" rel="tcontent1" class="selected">Tab 1 Name</a></li> 
	<li><a href="#" rel="tcontent2">Tab 2 Name</a></li> 
	<li><a href="#" rel="tcontent3">Tab 3 Name</a></li> 
	</ul> 
	<!-- /Tabbed Forum Home Tabs Layout -->

<!-- Tabbed Forum Home – START Tab 1 Content Layout -->
<div id="tcontent1" class="tabcontent">

<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<thead>
	<tr align="center">
	  <td class="thead">&nbsp;</td>
	  <td class="thead" width="100%" align="$stylevar[left]">$vbphrase[forum]</td>
	  <td class="thead" width="175">$vbphrase[last_post]</td>
	  <td class="thead">$vbphrase[threads]</td>
	  <td class="thead">$vbphrase[posts]</td>
	  <if condition="$vboptions['showmoderatorcolumn']">
	  <td class="thead">$vbphrase[moderator]</td>
	  </if>
	</tr>
</thead>

$forumbits

<tbody>
	<tr>
		<td class="tfoot" align="center" colspan="<if condition="$vboptions['showmoderatorcolumn']">6<else />5</if>"><div class="smallfont"><strong><a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]do=markread" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[mark_forums_read]</a><if condition="$vboptions['forumleaders']">&nbsp; &nbsp;
			<a href="showgroups.php$session[sessionurl_q]" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[view_forum_leaders]</a></if></strong></div></td>
	</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

$forumhome_markread_script

</div>
<!-- /Tabbed Forum Home - END Tab 1 Content Layout -->

[zappsan]

This is so awesome, just what I need.

Now I've got a question. What I want to do is to make the tab which is open first dependent from a certain value. How do I change which tab is open on the first visit though?

I tried removing the class="selected" from the 1st tab and added it to the 2nd one, but it didn't seem to work.

What am I doing wrong?

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by zappsan

This is so awesome, just what I need.

Now I've got a question. What I want to do is to make the tab which is open first dependent from a certain value. How do I change which tab is open on the first visit though?

I tried removing the class="selected" from the 1st tab and added it to the 2nd one, but it didn't seem to work.

What am I doing wrong?

Yes, that is how you do it. It uses persistance tho (which can be shut off .. its on by default).. Persistence brings you backc to the same place as you left... ie, if you clicked on tab 3, then viewed a thread and went back to forum home, Tab 3 would be active (if persistence is on).. if you shut persistence off, it would always default to the "selected" tab.

Change Selected to tab 2 like you did, then log out and log back in.. it should launch this time with Tab 2 open.

[zappsan]

I'll try that, thanks for the help

[Eq4bits]

Originally Posted by bobster65

Yes, that is how you do it. It uses persistance tho (which can be shut off .. its on by default).. Persistence brings you backc to the same place as you left... ie, if you clicked on tab 3, then viewed a thread and went back to forum home, Tab 3 would be active (if persistence is on).. if you shut persistence off, it would always default to the "selected" tab.

Change Selected to tab 2 like you did, then log out and log back in.. it should launch this time with Tab 2 open.

which file, and where in it, would one make persistance be shut off?