[HOW TO - vB4] Rendering templates and registering variables - a short guide

[fxdigi-cash]

how to render avatar to custom page??

any idea?

[tommythejoat]

I am trying to update a field I added to the thread table from a set of plugins that will be called whenever a post is edited or a new thread created. There is nothing to display. If the current post contains an image or an attachment, I want to copy the postid to my new field.

I think I need to preregister the node in the $thread array, but I am not sure how to do that. Can I freely reference an existing array in the preregister method?

Here is the code I have now. The commented line is what I would expect the eventual sql statement to be.

if (!$thread['thumbpostid']) //there is no thumbpost defined
{
	if ((strpos($post['pagetext'], '[/IMG]')  or ($post['attach']) ) // post has an attachment or there is an [img] tag
	{
		// $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE ".TABLE_PREFIX."thread SET thumbpostid = ".$postid." WHERE threadid = ".$threadid);
		$threadman->setr('thumbpostid', $postid);
	}
}

[Fraxter]

I'm currently working on an old vb addon to make it compatible to vb4.

Maybe somebody can help me with this following line:

PHP Code:

eval('$output["variable"]="'.fetch_template('new_template').'";'); 


My first try was like that:

PHP Code:

eval('$output["variable"]="'.vB_Template::create('new_template')->render().'";'); 


But i think that's not enough, the eval produces errors.

Thanks in advance.

[kh99]

I think you just need something like this:

PHP Code:

$output["variable"] = vB_Template::create('new_template')->render(); 


since the eval has been moved in to the vB_Template class. But if the template requires any variables, they now have to be registered. So it's likely you need something like:

PHP Code:

$templater = vB_Template::create('new_template');  
$templater->register('var1', $var1);
$templater->register('var2', $var2);
// etc, for each var needed by the template

$output["variable"] = $templater->render(); 


[Fraxter]

Thanks for your help.
That was exactly what i was looking for.

[kh99]

I should probably mention just in case, you don't have to register *every* variable because some standard vb ones are automatically registered, like bbuserinfo, style, show, vboptions, etc.

[Kestryll]

I have to admit, this is going a bit beyond my scope of knowledge and I'm a bit lost.

I'm trying to place the same rotating banner ads in 4.2.2 that I currently use in 3.8.7
I've been told I need to register the templates and have been directed to this thread.
I am certain the answer is here however I'm not grasping it.

I currently run in house advertising via a table in the header that calls to plugins using the PHP random feature like this:
In Table in header:

<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner12[$random_number12]</td>

In plug ins with a hook location of 'parse_templates' Execution order 5

$random_number12 = rand(1, 3);

$random_banner12[1] = '<a href="http://www.vendor/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads12/vendor.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';

I'm not sure which of these needs to be registered or where to do that at.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Lynne]

At the end of that plugin, you need to register that variable for use in the header template.

PHP Code:

vB_Template::preRegister('header', array('random_banner12' => $random_banner12)); 


[Kestryll]

Just so I have this right before trying it and turning my vB install in to Pong game, in the Plug In PHP Code box I add that to the end like this:

PHP Code:

$random_number11 = rand(1, 3);

$random_banner11[1] = '<a href="http://www.1022fungun.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads11/1022_120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';
$random_banner11[2] = '<a href="http://www.addaxtactical.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads11/Addax120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';
$random_banner11[3] = '<a href="http://www.turners.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads11/turners120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';
vB_Template::preRegister('header', array('random_banner11' => $random_banner11)); 


Then I place this in the Header:

PHP Code:

$random_banner11[$random_number11] 


[Lynne]

Did you try it? You really should have a test site set up so you can try this stuff before doing it on a live site.