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

[Brother Malachi]

Originally Posted by logicuk

If javascript is disbaled no one can see your forums including the spider

do you think you can fix it?

Don't spiders look in the source and not what is actually visible in the browser?

[vidan]

THANKS BOB, INSTALL rite now, anyway there is no problem with SEO right?

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by logicuk

If javascript is disbaled no one can see your forums including the spider

do you think you can fix it?

Both versions are fully search engine unobtrusive, so Spiders have NO problem using either one. This has been tested and documented by Dynamic Drive (the creator of the .js files). IF Spiders hit the site with Java script disabled, they will have access to a very simple basic HTML LIST which has URLs that it can access and get to the information it needs while spidering a site with TABs installed.. Simple as that.

The AJAX Beta release is "As is" .. this is for those that want to "test" it out, play with it, use it etc.. no further development will be done on either version as we are working on version 2.0

If you are worried about people that have JS disabled, then when you install this (or anything else that uses JS), install it on a child style and have the parent style NON Tabbed. Heck, some people don't like the tabs, this way they can choose

[vidan]

hello bob, tryin to install,but fail. the tabs showed perfectly, but when click one or another tab it open nothing, only the loading.gif then no forum come out.

in step 3 :

STEP 3 - Create a NEW Template: FORUMHOMETAB

in step 4 :Insert this line at the very begining of the template.
------------------------------------------------------
<if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == 'tabforumhome' AND in_array($forum['forumid'], $GLOBALS[tabcats])) OR THIS_SCRIPT == 'forumdisplay'">

is it tabforumhome or forumhometab? or both correctly?

thanks

[vidan]

FIXED! INSTALLED!! GOOD!!!!!!!! thanks bob

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by vidan

hello bob, tryin to install,but fail. the tabs showed perfectly, but when click one or another tab it open nothing, only the loading.gif then no forum come out.

in step 3 :

STEP 3 - Create a NEW Template: FORUMHOMETAB


in step 4 :Insert this line at the very begining of the template.
------------------------------------------------------
<if condition="(THIS_SCRIPT == 'tabforumhome' AND in_array($forum['forumid'], $GLOBALS[tabcats])) OR THIS_SCRIPT == 'forumdisplay'">

is it tabforumhome or forumhometab? or both correctly?

thanks

THe THIS SCRIPT is for the php file which is named tabforumhome.php I purposely named the template just the opposite so that there would be no confusion lol

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by vidan

hello

i include my lv1 nopost and lv1post

you have not applied the template changes to those two templates.... read the install doc again, it shows you what template changes need to be made.. its the simplest template edit possible as you insert one line of code at the very beginning of the template and one tag at the very end..

[Reminisce32]

Hi.. i think i did everything correctly but the tabs are not showing

you can see how it looks here http://www.maddengurus.com/forums/?styleid=1

or just go to the bottom and change the template to Default Style

what did i do wrong?

when i go to http://www.maddengurus.com/forums/tabforumhome.php

it shows Warning: in_array() [function.in-array]: Wrong datatype for second argument in /includes/functions_forumlist.php(350) : eval()'d code on line 1

is something wrong with tabforumhome.php in the beta version?

[Scamorz]

Hi bob, thank you for this mod. It works but i found some problems...

I had to put /forum/ in the path to ajaxtabs.css and ajaxtabs.js
The script now is working but i don't see loading.gif

In Internet Explorer 6 i see this picture in the attachment:

[Reminisce32]

scamorz, any idea why mine looks the way it does? i checked the template edits over and over and i uploaded everything to the right place.