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

[Simon Lloyd]

Originally Posted by bobster65

If you are trying to simulate what vborg is doing, you are using the wrong Modification. This simply replaces the existing FORUMHOME listing of Categories and allows you to put them into a Tabbed Container on the FORUMHOME page. Just like default forum home, when you click on a FORUM link, it goes to a FORUM DISPLAY page (which is generated using a different PHP file and set of functions and templates)...

Now, what you CAN DO is make a template modification to the FORUMDISPLAY pages that have a Tabbed MENU that will take viewers to other Forums... kinda like combining the two MODS..

I took your suggestion thanks, i used the css form dynamic drive and simply added an edited version of that to my FORUMDISPLAY....Works great, just like your mod

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd

I took your suggestion thanks, i used the css form dynamic drive and simply added an edited version of that to my FORUMDISPLAY....Works great, just like your mod

Sweet... don't you love it when a plan comes together

[McMendo]

I guess that this question is like asking to read into the future. But I have to ask it anyway.

Any chances that it might run with the forthcoming vB 4 version?

From the few screenshots that I've seen it looks as if the style for vB 4 will be changing heavily: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blog.php?b=2360

[Simon Lloyd]

Originally Posted by McMendo

I guess that this question is like asking to read into the future. But I have to ask it anyway.

Any chances that it might run with the forthcoming vB 4 version?

From the few screenshots that I've seen it looks as if the style for vB 4 will be changing heavily: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blog.php?b=2360

There would only be a problem if this mod uses hook locations as those will be different in vb4

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by McMendo

I guess that this question is like asking to read into the future. But I have to ask it anyway.

Any chances that it might run with the forthcoming vB 4 version?

From the few screenshots that I've seen it looks as if the style for vB 4 will be changing heavily: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blog.php?b=2360

Depends on if they made/make any changes to the core files/functions in regards to the $forumbits ... if they do, then some recoding will have to take place. If they make an cosmetic changes to any of the FORUMHOME templates, then those changes will have to be made as well (which won't take much to fix)..

Won't know until I can see vb4.x

[Keesa]

Originally Posted by Scamorz

In FF works fine...
i am not expert in css...but i try to modify something

EDIT: i deleted <br style="clear: left" /> and now the layout in IE6 is ok!
Great mod!

In what file is that piece of code deleted?



Edit: Oh, I found it for future people here, it is.

<!-- Tabbed Forum Home -->

<div id="ajaxTFH" class="TFHmenu2">
	<ul>
		<li class="selected"><a href="tabforumhome.php?tabcat[]=1" rel="ajaxTFHcontentarea">TAB 1 NAME</a></li>
		<li><a href="tabforumhome.php?tabcat[]=1&tabcat[]=2" rel="ajaxTFHcontentarea">TAB 2 NAME</a></li>
		<li><a href="tabforumhome.php?tabcat[]=1&tabcat[]=2&tabcat[]=3" rel="ajaxTFHcontentarea">TAB 3 NAME</a></li>
	</ul>
</div>

<br style="clear: left" />

<div class="TFHmenu2line"></div>

<div id="ajaxTFHcontentarea" style="border:0px solid gray; width:100%; height: 100%; background-color: white; padding: 0px"></div>

<script type="text/javascript">
	var mytabs=new ddajaxtabs("ajaxTFH", "ajaxTFHcontentarea")
		mytabs.setpersist(true)
		mytabs.setselectedClassTarget("link") 
		mytabs.init()
</script>

<!-- /Tabbed Forum Home  -->
<!-- /main -->

Also, in case this is helpful for someone new coming in and not wanting to read 105 pages, I had to set my paths to the clientscript files to be my WHOLE path, i.e., http://www.myforum.com/forums/... etc for it to work.

Good luck!

[cbiweb]

How can it be that I followed the instructions exactly as written, TWICE, and still don't have tabs? All I get is a regular unordered list. I even reverted the relevant templates to the defaults before starting, just to be sure it worked.

Edit: Found the solution. I had applied Schnee's fix above, but not to this part of the code:

<!-- Tabbed Forum Home Header Code -->    
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/clientscript/tabs/ajaxtabs.css" /> 
    <script type="text/javascript" src="/clientscript/tabs/ajaxtabs.js"> </script>
<!-- /Tabbed Forum Home Header Code -->

Once I did that, it worked fine. Perhaps this should be in the installation instructions?

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by cbiweb

How can it be that I followed the instructions exactly as written, TWICE, and still don't have tabs? All I get is a regular unordered list. I even reverted the relevant templates to the defaults before starting, just to be sure it worked.

try removing the / from the clientscript path for both the js and css includes .. that are put the fully URL to those files..

[cbiweb]

Thanks, bobster. I'll take out the full URLs and leave off the / like you suggest. I'd rather do that because full URLs can come back to bite!

[cbiweb]

One more thing... I'm using 1.5.0 beta, and would like to have a default tab selected when the page loads. I see instructions for v1.01, is there way to do the same thing in 1.5.0?