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

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by PVTRoger

I've made big progress and now I'm down to the little niggly things.

The attached image shows my current issue. The two columns are extended above the main forum. I'd like to have them all be even. Any ideas?

stick a <br /> in the top of the left_column and right_column templates

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by movslow

Different scripts/etc have different sizes. Is there a way to unify all teh sizes of the boxes regardless of the items inside?

Chang the width settings to be wide enough for your widest item

Originally Posted by alex818

hello,

I unzipped the filed and uploaded them to the /forum directory but I can do not see the options under VB options

I am very new to this. what should I check?

thank you!!!!!!!!

alex

Make sure you import the product file too.

Originally Posted by raznaran

Using Vista to unzip the file causes errors which are not readily apparent. Including leaving files out without telling you. So when you upload, you think you uploaded everything but you didn't Very annoying. It might help if someone would recompile using Windows.

I have been planning to do this for a while. I'm having a lot of probllems with my Windows machine but it will get done eventually.

[mikelangelo2005]

Please help,

I have two problems:

Everything was well with USC, it had installed step by step USC 2-2 but, without doing nothing yesterday in the afternoon the column right moved 1cm to the right (they watch photo 1) www.motofanaticos.com

If collapse the forums the column right returns where it was (check photo 2).

This problem is with I.explorer, if you check in Firefox all Ok.

This is the all code of USC_SIDECOLUMN_RIGHT

<td width="$stylevar[spacersize]" valign="top"><img src="clear.gif" border="0" width="$stylevar[spacersize]" />
</td><td valign="top">
<br />
<if condition="$vboptions[usc_collapse_right]"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody id="collapseobj_usc_right" style="$vbcollapse[collapseobj_usc_right]">
<tr>
<td>
</if>
<table border="0" width="$vboptions[usc_right_width]" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" class="tborder">
<if condition="$vboptions[usc_right_title]">
<tr>
<td class="tcat">$vboptions[usc_right_title]</td>
</tr>
</if>
$block11
$block12
$block13
$block14
$block15
$block16
$block17
$block18
$block19
$block20
</table>
<if condition="$vboptions[usc_collapse_right]">
</tr>
</td>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<br />
<a style="float:$stylevar[right]" href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('usc_right')"><img id="collapseimg_usc_right" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/collapse_thead$vbcollapse[collapseimg_usc_right].gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
</if>
</td>

With this code I put the banner in column 11:

<object width="230" height="400">
<param name="movie" value="images/misc/usa_casco.swf">
<embed src="images/misc/usa_casco.swf" width="230" height="400">
</embed>
</object>
<br>

And this is code in column 12:

<object width="230" height="300
<param name="movie" value="images/misc/dia_nacional_del_motociclista.swf">
<embed src="images/misc/dia_nacional_del_motociclista.swf" width="230" height="300">
</embed>
</object>
<br>

The other problem:

The Tittle of the column right appear down (check the photo 2)
This problem is with Explorer and firefox.

Thanks,
P.d: I need to solve this urgent one

[siliconfinance]

Originally Posted by Kerry-Anne

I'm not a vB.org staff member

I will update the release post, but the docs won't be updated just for a small change to the instructions.

And the block codes was originally in the vBOptions but was moved to the templates as the use of the vBOptions severely limits the functionality available in the blocks. Simple things like basic variables are not available via contents through the vBOptions. It doesn't mean that I don't think about a better solution for it for 3.0 when I start writing that (I'll get to it eventually).

I followed all of the instructions twice, was about to give up, and then went through every page of this thread to find this information. Why not update your first post with the critical information and add it to the files when you have a chance?

[Rocc]

It's not showing on to my skin

[kalleklorin]

im running vBulletin® Version 3.7.4 and cant see anyhting, also no places to edit them

[niteflyer32]

I'm running vBulletin? Version 3.7.4 (Patch Level 1) working good so far.

Don't forget to turn on user group permissions to see the columns.

================================================== =

kalleklorin, the place to edit the columns is

Edit usc_block to add content to your columns. Blocks 1 -> 10 are defaulted to the left column and blocks 11 -> 20 are defaulted to the right column.

Each block must start with: <tr> <td class="alt1">

The alt1 may be replaced with another class as desired.

Each block must end with:</td> </tr>

Failure to include this compulsory code at the start and end of the templates will render the templates malformed and cause display issues with your columns.

[Stefanus]

Hi,

I'm running vBulletin? Version 3.7.4 (Patch Level 1).

When I try to open "misc.php?do=bbcode" I get the following error:

Fatal error: Cannot use assign-op operators with overloaded objects nor string offsets in *****/forum/misc.php(479) : eval()'d code on line 22

This error condition is only given when USC is active, when disabled or removed the bbcode template functions without any problems.

Any solution for this error?

Thanks,
Stefanus

[rob01]

hey one question , how do i change the whole column size?

i want to make it be more smaller

[mAnimal85]

I want to place my vertical advertising banner (120x600px) on the position marked by black rectangle exactly like in this picture:



Is it somehow possible to do with USC??

Please, give mi solution ...