Arrange Sub-Forums in columns

There's also a vB 3.5 version here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=82845

What it does
This hack arranges sub-forums on the forum home into 2 (or more) columns, makeing large lists of sub-forums more presentable. You can see it in action on my forums here:

Demo
http://forum.lowcarber.org

Note:
1. You need to enable sub-forum display on the forum home from your vB admin panel
2. This hack is for the forum home page, not forum display.

To enable sub-forums on the forum home page
1. Go to your forum Admin panel
2. Click vBulletin Options
3. Select "Forum Listings Display Options" from the drop down list
4. In "Depth of Sub-Forums" replace 0 with 1

Installation
To install, edit the file functions_forumlist.php (in the includes directory)

1. Find

PHP Code:

      foreach($vbulletin->iforumcache["$parentid"] AS $forumid) 


Place this code above it:

PHP Code:

$output .= "<table width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" ><tr valign=\"top\"> ";
      $cols = 0; 


2. Find

PHP Code:

            eval('$subforum = "' . fetch_template("forumhome_subforumbit_$canpost") . '";');
            if (!empty($output))
            {
                $subforum = $splitter["$canpost"] . $subforum;
            }
            if ($depth < $vbulletin->options['subforumdepth'])
            {
                $output .= construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1);
            }
        }
    }

    return $output;

} 


Replace with

PHP Code:

            eval('$subforum = "' . fetch_template("forumhome_subforumbit_$canpost") . '";');
                    if ($depth < $vbulletin->options['subforumdepth'])
                        {
                                $cols++;
                                if ($cols==3)
                                        {
                                        $cols = 1;
                                        $output .=  "</tr><tr>";
                                        }

                        $output .= '<td width="50%">' . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . "</td>";
                        }
        }
    }

        if ($cols ==1) $output.="<td>&nbsp;</td></tr></table>";
    else $output.="</tr></table>";

        return $output;

} 


To put them in 3 columns, instead of t2, just edit this line "if ($cols==3)" to "if ($cols==4)" and change this line:

PHP Code:

                  $output .= "<td width=\"50%\">" . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . ""; 


To this:

PHP Code:

                  $output .= "<td width=\"33%\">" . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . ""; 


Template modification (optional)
As this hack will list the sub-forums in a table, the font used is not effected by the <div> tag for subforums, which will cause the default font to be used instead of smallfont.

To use smallfont for sub-forum names, edit the "forumhome_subforumbit_post"

Change (this is the whole template)

<img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/subforum_$forum[statusicon].gif" alt="" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]">$forum[title]</a>

To:

<img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/subforum_$forum[statusicon].gif" alt="" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><span class="smallfont">$forum[title]</span></a>

And for those who want to edit or remove the "Sub-forum" word, just remove (or edit, if you just want to change it) "<strong>$vbphrase[subforums]</strong>:" from the "forumhome_forumbit_level2_post" template

Screen shots, before/after

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by axi

so i have to re-add all the sub forums from scratch?

No, on the config for each forum, you move it under the new top forum you made.

[axi]

so i have to make a new category, and then just move them sub forums back into it. and delete the old categories?? is that right?

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by axi

so i have to make a new category, and then just move them sub forums back into it. and delete the old categories?? is that right?

Nope. Make a new FORUM under the caegories you have (I called mine "Categories") then move the sub forums under it.

Like this:

Existing Category
--New Forum <---you added this
----Existing Child Forums <---and moved these under it

[tamarian]

Yes, just what Dennis said. That should do it.

[axi]

a yeh, kind of get ya. il try that. thanks.

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Yes, just what Dennis said. That should do it.

It actually worked out pretty good. I wonder why converting the existing categories to forums broke it though?

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by dsboyce8624

It actually worked out pretty good. I wonder why converting the existing categories to forums broke it though?

Because the main category was lost, so it was category-less

If you created a new catgory, then made the old catgory to be it's child, then made that old category to a forum, it would have worked. It wasn't really broken though, it just doesn't look as good as under a category.

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Because the main category was lost, so it was category-less

If you created a new catgory, then made the old catgory to be it's child, then made that old category to a forum, it would have worked. It wasn't really broken though, it just doesn't look as good as under a category.

So if I did that--^ then dumped the top category, would that work?

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by dsboyce8624

So if I did that--^ then dumped the top category, would that work?

No, it will "work", but I'm sure you won't like the look.

[vktechnology]

Is it possible to make couter to count sub forums..it will look like directory style

something like

Computer (5)- Software (2) - Hardware (1)
- services(4) - Products (8)