Miscellaneous Hacks - Ultimate Side Columns 2.2

Ultimate Side Columns
By Kerry-Anne www.peterska2.co.uk

Welcome to Ultimate Side Columns 2.2 !

USC 2.2 has now been released!!!!

Introduction

Following the success of the left and right side column modifications, and building on their weaknesses, the Ultimate Side Columns system was born.

Ultimate Side Columns (USC) is your one stop shop for all your side columns needs. It is an easy to configure, all in one solution.

USC 2.0 was born through the evolution and bug fixing of USC 1.0 for vBulletin 3.6 and is for vBulletin 3.7.0 RC1 and later only. It is not supported with earlier versions and may not work with them.

Features

USC 2.0 is fully customizable, can use conditions and variables (not available in USC 1.0), has greater flexibility in where it can be omitted from (after requests received), and contains new functionality of both independently collapsible columns and user defined custom links to be displayed on a per user basis in the column location of the administrators choosing.

A maximum of 20 blocks spread over the two columns are available at this time. However, if more are required then an expansion pack will be provided. The blocks can be reordered and moved between the templates with ease through simple template edits.

USC 2.2 Change Log:
Fixed bug with profile.php?do=editattachments
Added All Pages options

USC 2.1 Change Log:
Fixed blank page caused by missing template in the XML
Added compatibility with 3.7.0 Stable/Gold
Manual Template Edit instructions added to package
Enhanced the display page choices to allow exact selection of the pages where USC is to be displayed
Added usergroup permissions in addition to the global options for viewing the left column, viewing the right column, and using the custom contents block.

USC 2.1 has additional files. You need to upload the files first BEFORE importing the product

Upgrading from USC 2.0
Upload the contents of the upload folder, except the admincp directory, then import the XML.

Go to vBOptions > USC Options and set the display pages using the new options
Go to Usergroups > Usergroup Manager and set the permissions for each usergroup as desired. By default no permissions are given to any usergroups.

Upgrading from USC 1.0

USC 2.0 has been rewritten from the ground up and therefore all the blocks have been moved from the settings into the templates. Therefore, a unique upgrade script has been provided which must be run before importing the new product. Importing the new product first will result in the loss of your existing USC contents.

The upgrade script is located in the admincp directory after uploading the USC files and is ran by pointing your browser to admincp/usc_upgrade.php

Full upgrade instructions are included in the upgrade readme file in the zip.

Installation Instructions

Download the zip, unzip it and upload the contents of the upload folder to your forum directory. Import the product, all done.

Full instructions are included in the install readme in the zip.

Support

This modification has limited support only and is therefore flagged as unsupported. Support will be given when possible although it is always preferable when users of USC support each other. This was very successful with USC 1.0 and therefore is continued with USC 2.0

If you have any other combinations of pages that you would like to see available for the column options, please post them in the support thread ensuring that you add the title "USC Page Combination Request" to your post, or use this as the first line of your post ensuring that it is in bold text. This is very specific as due to the limited nature of support and time, the support thread will only be quickly skimmed through and therefore requests may be missed if it is not clear what they are.


The screenshots attached to this post and the next one show a range of pages with a range of column combinations. They are not labeled but they are pretty self explanatory.

Enjoy USC 2.0.

Kerry-Anne


PLEASE NOTE: This modification is unsupported. You may not receive a reply right after posting. Please try and help each other out.



Problems with your side columns not showing?
For your side columns to show, you need to update your usergroup permissions from the usergroup manager for each usergroup

Problems with errors in your vBOptions?
Point your browser to admincp/index.php?do=buildbitfields then try again

[DirtSnap]

first i would like to say thanks for the awesome hack kerry.

secondly, i feel like a total n00b for saying this but i can't even get the right column to work...
i followed the guide in the zip, enabled the right column in the vBulletin options > Ultimate Side Columns Options, then i tried to put some code onto the usc_block11 (i had no idea what i was doing here). I basically just want to make adsense ads show up in a right column. This is my code:

<tr>
<td class="alt1">   //had no idea what to put in the class

//adsense script
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX";
/* 120x600, created 7/9/08 */
google_ad_slot = "XXXXXXXXXX";
google_ad_width = 120;
google_ad_height = 600;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>


</td>
</tr>

If anyone could help me out, give me a rough idea how to get it working, or anything i would greatly appreciate it.

[Budget101]

I am using the sidebar (Which I love, and thank you very much!!!), However, I cannot seem to get the blocks to show as "Individual" blocks.

For example, in the left hand column I am using Block 1 - which shows navigation buttons.

In Block 2, I have the following code

PHP Code:

<tr>
<td><p align="center"><b><font color="#BC496B">SPONSORS</font></b><br>
SPONSOR CODE SNIPPED</p>
</td>
</tr> 


But, they all seem to run together like 1 Big long block instead of seperate ones,

block 1
block 2
block 3

How do I make them show individually?

(Just a note, I tried adding <br /> to the end of the code in box 2, but it only made the default box lower, rather than Block 2.

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by carwash

Is there any way to get this to display in conjunction with the ipProArcade? It worked with VBArcade, but not with this new one.

It does work with any additional pages that are part of vBulletin if All Pages is selected.

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

Can this be used to add side columns for ads and not have vb content in them?

Yes. That is the main purpose for it.

Originally Posted by onestopadam

I don't seem to be able to delete custom links from the usc_cp.php page in user cp.

This is a known bug. Set the display order to 0 for the items you don't want to show any longer.

Originally Posted by onestopadam

Also how would I go about under so it displays under the user info bit?

Use the below navbar option for the location.

Originally Posted by Belder

Thanks Kerry-Anne, this looks like a great addition. I'd like to display it on some styes, but not on all, so I'll run it up on my test board first. It doesn't sound as though that will be too much of a problem though. *Installed* - (but not yet "live").

Use the manual template edit options and perform the manual edits on the required styles.

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by lstintxs100

Fantastic addition, I love it.

Is there any way to add this so it shows in my archives? Search engines send alot of people to my archives rather than the live forum and I would like to monitize a little more on that.

If this is an easy edit, let me know what to edit and I will take care of the rest.



edit, You did not write the other product I mentioned so I removed it reference to it.

USC does not do this and it most likely needs file editing.

Originally Posted by d-wiz

I got double columns on both sides?



Also is there an easy reference for content or am I supposed to run through this thread?

Thans in advance for any answers!

If you have applied manual template edits then ensure that you have turned off the auto edits in the USC options by selecting the manual edits.

Originally Posted by onestopadam

OK this seems to break a couple of other javascript things for people on IE and Firefox - basically the Search dropdown and quicklinks drop down doesn't work and the whole sidebar doesn't display??? Any clues to fixing this one or anyone else had this problem? I've not edited anything I'm aware of that would cause this to happen.

This is not an issue with this modification and is a style related issue.

Originally Posted by ssandgirls

Im wondering if anyone knows how to get the little collaspe icon to sit ontop of the table... or better still in the table.... its way up above and Id like to have it resting ontop of the table.....

Also my forum loads much slower with this enabled, could I have done something wrong?

Should it effect load times?

heres a screen shot of my collapse icon, its way up to high.. how do I fix that?

Thankyou .....

Moving the collapse button causes it to disappear when collapsed or the column to not collapse. Load times are not affected by this, and are usually due to style issues.

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by trigatch4

Default display is:

[L. Side]......[Content].......[R. Side]

How would I display it like this:

[L. Side]......[R. Side].......[Content]

I guess I could edit this in the templates myself but am a little lost? Is there an easy "float left" type thing I can do or do I need to change the place that the sidebar appears in each template individually? If so.. where?

I posted the instructions for this earlier in this thread.

Originally Posted by UaECasher

Hello,

I have installed and uploaded all the files but i can't see the columns and i'm not really understanding how to add blocks the help file is little messy can any one help me please and tell me how to add links and stuff

Thank you

Ensure that you have enabled the columns in both the options and in the usergroup permissions/usergroup manager.

Originally Posted by Chris04S

Hi.. I am new to forums and new around here.. but certainly not new to building sites, etc. Anyway... building forums is a whole new world for me although I grasp the basics as I am used to HTML, CSS, RTML for you yahooers. Anyway, I just tried installing this, two questions, one, I have "re-skinned" the forum with one of miners skins, the sidebars are not showing up, could this be a cause, that I have re-skinned the forum that is?

My other question is I downloaded the Mini Navbar: Breadcrumb at Bottom of Thread
Version: 1.0.4, prior and in the installed products screen it put a [s]slash through the name [/s]. I guess the USC plug in cancels out the Mini Navbar plugin?

Thanks for any help guys...

Chris

The auto edits may not work with modified styles and you should use the manual template edits in this case.

USC does not disable or affect any other modifications.

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by trigatch4

I want the only LINKS people are able to choose for the CUSTOM BLOCK to be links to forums and/or sub forums on my site. How could I accomplish this?

I have a TON of forums on my site and it'd be nice to use the CUSTOM BLOCK in the upper left to be a "quick reference" so people can set their favorite forums and always have access to them.

Instead of the complicated link entry featured now, you would just tick off check marks next to the forums you wanted to add and they would be added.

Anyone? Help appreciated!

There is no way to do this without extensive modification to the USC code.

Originally Posted by ChandlerDog

I don't know how you do the screen shots so I copy and paste. Now I'm getting this error in
Ultimate Side Columns Options


Display Pages For Left Column
Using this setting you can determine the pages where the left column will be displayed. An error occurred while processing the bitfield files, the following information was returned:
Error:
1
Display Pages For Right Column
Using this setting you can determine the pages where the right column will be displayed. An error occurred while processing the bitfield files, the following information was returned:

Reupload the files then point your browser to yourforums/admincp/index.php?do=buildbitfields

This error happens if you didn't follow the instructions and imported the product before uploading the files and not the other way around.

Originally Posted by raman911

Any one tell me where is Ultimate Side Columns permissions located?

Usergroups > Usergroup Manager > Edit > Ultimate Side Columns Permissions

The options are at

vBOptions > Ultimate Side Columns Options

Originally Posted by raman911

I installed it but it has made two right columns...one tothe right side where its supposed to be but it has also added one at the bottom of my page directly above hte "styles" box where you can change skins. When I enter info in box 1, it goes in both places. How did this happen? I checked for duplicate code but the code is in how it says it's supposed to be. help...

This is common if you had the old version installed and have selected the auto template edits without removing the manual edits. It also happens if you have enabled the auto edits but also performed the manual template edits. You need to either remove the manual template edits or change the auto template option to the use manual edits option.

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by UaECasher

say i want to link (http://casherz.com/forums/vbplaza.php?) and in the Column i want it to appear Vbplaza what code should I add

Thank you for the help i really need to install the column

Put this in one of your block templates

<tr>
<td class="alt1">
<a href="vbplaza.php">vB Plaza</a>
</td>
</tr>

Originally Posted by lstintxs100

I have no idea if this is the proper way to do it but. try this :

<tr>
<tr>
<td class="tcat">your title here</td>
</tr>
<td class="alt1">

This is where content will go.

</td>
</tr>

Nearly, but not quite.

 [s]<tr>[/s]
<tr>
<td class="tcat">your title here</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="alt1">

This is where content will go.

</td>
</tr>

I added a stike through the code to be removed and bold for the code to be added.

Originally Posted by hornstar1337

When I enable column start point with: below header and above navbar
All my pages show good. eg. footer is not messed up.

However, when I choose below navbar and below notices or below notices and forum descriptions almost all my other pages, eg. registration page, calendar page are showing up weird, eg. my footer is all messed up. Even with it disabled to not show on those pages they are still showing up weird.


So currently I have it set to below header and above navbar however ideally I like the setting: below navbar and below notices better.

What code is it looking for when it is set to this option? Maybe one of my templates does not have the needed code? or maybe I will need to make the template edit manually in which case, what templates and code do I need to edit?

Thanks.

Use the manual edit option and follow the manual edit options.

Originally Posted by DirtSnap

first i would like to say thanks for the awesome hack kerry.

secondly, i feel like a total n00b for saying this but i can't even get the right column to work...
i followed the guide in the zip, enabled the right column in the vBulletin options > Ultimate Side Columns Options, then i tried to put some code onto the usc_block11 (i had no idea what i was doing here). I basically just want to make adsense ads show up in a right column. This is my code:

<tr>
<td class="alt1">   //had no idea what to put in the class

//adsense script
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX";
/* 120x600, created 7/9/08 */
google_ad_slot = "XXXXXXXXXX";
google_ad_width = 120;
google_ad_height = 600;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>


</td>
</tr>

If anyone could help me out, give me a rough idea how to get it working, or anything i would greatly appreciate it.

That's fine. Make sure you have set the permissions for your usergroup to view the permissions.

Originally Posted by Budget101

I am using the sidebar (Which I love, and thank you very much!!!), However, I cannot seem to get the blocks to show as "Individual" blocks.

For example, in the left hand column I am using Block 1 - which shows navigation buttons.

In Block 2, I have the following code

PHP Code:

<tr>
<td><p align="center"><b><font color="#BC496B">SPONSORS</font></b><br>
SPONSOR CODE SNIPPED</p>
</td>
</tr> 


But, they all seem to run together like 1 Big long block instead of seperate ones,

block 1
block 2
block 3

How do I make them show individually?

(Just a note, I tried adding <br /> to the end of the code in box 2, but it only made the default box lower, rather than Block 2.

<tr>
<td><p align="center"><b><font color="#BC496B">SPONSORS</font></b><br>
SPONSOR CODE SNIPPED</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br />
<br />
<table width="100%" class="tborder" border="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]">

Add the bold code as shown.

[d-wiz]

Originally Posted by Kerry-Anne

If you have applied manual template edits then ensure that you have turned off the auto edits in the USC options by selecting the manual edits..

But if I do that they dissapear? You do mean under vBulleting options/Ultimate Site Columns Options and then Column Start Point - I will edit the templates myself - thanks anyway, right?

BTW: Thank you for a great mod!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does anyone know how to add this months calendar just like you see the last months calendar and next months calender on the calender page of the forum?

How about latest poll?

[sross]

Hi, i have my right column working however on page load my entire page loads, then the column appears. So it's big page, then crunch down when the column appears. This is quite visually distracting to say the least. Is there any way around this? Thanks!

[d-wiz]

Could someone please tell me what is wrong on my page (www.ontopic.dk), you shpuld be able to see the right column.

As I see it I have these problems:

[S]1. The top block which has something to with the size of the picture and this line: <table class="tborder" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1" width="160">
[/S]
[S]2. And the footer that has moved up under the right side blocks? I'm thinking this is due to me not clossing some tags?
[/S]
3. Search button and field doesn't work.

4. Latest posts doesn't work as it don't change and turns new posts bold.
Should work now just didn't update with all of the latest, but last time someone posted a new thread it appeared. Perhaps I'm missing new posts?