Some newbie questions before buying

[Gazanfer]

Hello.

For a new site, i am thinking about buying a vbulletin license. In the past, i just used phpbb and likes whenever i needed a community solution.

But this new site will be based on the forum software, so i want it to be very solid and stable. This lead me to vbulletin. I was hearing about vbulletin for years.

Before buying a license, i have some questions:

- How flexible are vb templates? for example; can i make a tableless, pure css design? (no, it doesn't need to be the exact clone of the default template like in that "make an exact tableless clone of default template" at vbulletin.com)

- I will hire a coder to mod the site to my liking. (No, what i want done is not available anywhere on internet, i want a full vb dating mod) But what will happen to my templates then? What will happen to other mods i have already installed? I mean how modular is vb?

- Can i mod vb to heavily use ajax?

Thank you.

[Freesteyelz]

1) vBulletin's templates are extremely flexible, at least in comparison to Ultimate Bulletin Board and phpBB, in which I've used in the past. A major factor is that they are separate from the core vB PHP files and so when you upgrade it will not affect your custom template configurations, unless it's a major change to routines. In such cases you will manually change them back to default and can re-customize them again to meet the upgraded version requirements. The templates are stored in the database so there are no files to edit.

While vB uses Tables for its layout you can customize it to use CSS. Not only have I've seen vB forums do it but I've experimented too and it can be achieved, but with work as there are a lot of default templates to go through (quite overwhelming in the beginning). One day I'll showcase (and possibly release) a fully compliant XHTML and CSS design.

2) vB.org has a ton of talented coders/designers that may be able to help you. Depending on the modification a fee may be required. You can request "hire for help" in the Services forum.

The coders are very good at developing mods that do not conflict with others that are installed. Then there are mods that integrate with other mods. Your templates should remain intact. My guess is that if a mod requires a certain style layout (e.g., CSS pure) then work with the coder/designer during the process.

3) vBulletin uses ajax and so do many of the mods here. So I'd say 'yes' to your question.

I'm fairly new to vB as well so I'm sharing my experiences. I hope it helps.

[Gazanfer]

Thank you.

I also have some php coding experience (6+ years), and modified a lot of software including phpbb and likes.

Can i mod vb on my own? I mean, let's say i wanted to add new fields that a user must enter at registration. How hard is it? Editing database and editing registration page must be easy, but integration with other mods seems like a hard job. (I tried to have a look at modification tutorials, but i can't view them since i don't have a license yet.)

Isn't there a special license of vbulletin which allows access from localhost only, so that i can test whatever i like and decide if i want vb or not? Because this site is going to be solely based on vbulletin. I don't want to buy it until i am sure that a modded vb is best solution in my case.

Also, how can i find a coder who is specialized in vb modding? i have tried service request section but i do not have the rights to post there.

[Freesteyelz]

1) You can create custom Profile Fields in the Admin CP that can be displayed and edited during registration. The setup is easy. It is rare that you'll mess with the database unless by intention of SQL Query or mod that requires it.

Just the initial view of the admin's options can be overwhelming at first. No matter how experienced the user is it will take time to adjust to the routines and placements of features, templates and codes. Although phpBB cannot compare, even remotely, to vB's structure with your experience you'll have a an advantage.

Unfortunately, because for licensing concerns, unlicensed members cannot view the codes for the hacks. The screenshots should be made available but the restriction is vB's default behavior and a hack will be needed to change it. The admins are considering it but at this time there is no word if this can be done easily.

2) vBulletin provides people to do a test run on their special server as Admins. You can find the link here. While you won't be able to view the PHP files, once you've logged in as Admin, you can see the control panel and have a go for 24 hours. While the demo doesn't give you the full range of vB's capacity, you should get an idea how things work. Don't worry, however. vBulletin is quite complex so 24 hours is not enough time to figure everything out. It'll take weeks to months.

3) The majority of the coders/designers here specialize in vB modding. It really depends on the type of mods you want but I'm sure you'll be able to work out something with at least a handful of these talented people. The services work by posting in a Service forum thread and when a coder/designer is interested he/she will get in contact with you privately. From there the involved party(ies) work it out.