Put a Column on the Left Side of Every Forum Page

This little PRODUCT will provide you with a template to put content in a column going down the left side of every forum page.

What you put there is limited only by your imagination.

This can easily be combined with the right column product to have a column on both sides.

To use this with the right column product , change the footer code to:

<!-- Right Column Code  -->
</td>
<td width="160" valign="top" align="left">$rightcolumn</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
</table>
<!-- End Right Column Code -->

Changes in 1.1
Some very important changes were made to the header and footer template changes. Please modify your header and footer code to use the new version.

This is now a PRODUCT and not a plugin. Use the product manager to import it. If you are upgrading, copy the contents of your left_column template to notepad BEFORE you install the product. Then, replace the template contents with your backup.

This version now includes sample html in the left_column template. Thanks to iguanairs for that code.

[kwame]

Hi, I need to include some php code in this left nav but it won't show up. I tried creating a plugin and then including that in the left nav but that doesn't work either. Can someone please point me in the right direction on this one? Thanks.

[oldfan]

Why is it in the "showthread.php?" after the second/third post does the layout go back to normal?


example > http://www.metallifukinca.com/showthread.php?t=3361

[johnstires]

I've been searching this thread for the answer but haven't found yet.

This hack works great. However I have a fixed width of 900px (centered) and this hack bumps my content out the length of my left column. I changed the header width and that worked for most of my pages. However the showthread table is still pushed out.

How do I get this to work on the showthread page?

Here's a link to the problem page:

http://www.prenatalyogacenter.com/fo...read.php?t=788

[Rik Brown]

[QUOTE=JenniferK]Rik, works fine in 3.6.1

Jennifer: Thanks. Got it online. -- Rik

[johnstires]

I found the fixed width problem here:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156775

Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> ? ? -> spacer_open

Replace the red code:

<!-- open content container -->
<if condition="$show['old_explorer']">
	<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="$stylevar[outertablewidth]" align="center"><tr><td class="page" style="padding:0px $stylevar[spacersize]px 0px $stylevar[spacersize]px">
<else />
	<div align="center">
		<div class="page" style="width:$stylevar[outerdivwidth]; text-align:$stylevar[left]">
			<div style="padding:0px $stylevar[spacersize]px 0px $stylevar[spacersize]px">
</if>

...with the blue code:

<!-- open content container -->
<if condition="$show['old_explorer']">
	<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" align="center"><tr><td class="page" style="padding:0px $stylevar[spacersize]px 0px $stylevar[spacersize]px">
<else />
	<div align="center">
		<div class="page" style="width:100%; text-align:$stylevar[left]">
			<div style="padding:0px $stylevar[spacersize]px 0px $stylevar[spacersize]px">
</if>

I think this should be added as template change for the iinstall instructions.

[Hornstar]

Originally Posted by attroll

To make them collapsable use this code in your template:

PHP Code:

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1" class="tborder" width="100%">
<thead>
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="0">
<a href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('module_40')" style="float:right"><img alt="" border="0" id="collapseimg_module_40" src="/forum/images/buttons/collapse_tcat.gif" /></a>
<span class="smallfont"><strong>&raquo; Title here</strong></span></td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody id="collapseobj_module_40" style="">
<td class="alt2">
<!-- Begin custom code -->
<a href ="http://www.yoursite.net">Home</a><br>
<a href ="http://www.yoursite.net/forum">Forum</a><br>
<!-- Begin custom code -->
</tbody>
</table> 


That doesnt work for me. It just looks like all my other tables. www.buy-host.com/forums It is the bottom one that is using your code.

[navjotjsingh]

How to put the left column on the left of forums only and what's going on and complete footer should be normal and not pushed by the sidebar. Any ideas on that?

[peterska2]

Originally Posted by navjotjsingh

How to put the left column on the left of forums only and what's going on and complete footer should be normal and not pushed by the sidebar. Any ideas on that?

That is not possible with this modification as the edits are to the header and footer templates and therefor anything inbetween forms the right column of the two column layout.

[fatal1980]

This mod works perfectly, except on the showthread.php pages.

It shows the name of the column thats it. works perfectly everywhere else.. any ideas?

thanks

[Oreamnos]

I'm trying to move some of my navbar links to the left column but the template conditionals aren't working.

For example, if I put this:

PHP Code:

<if condition="$show['member']">member info</if> 


in my left_column template nothing shows up. I am a member so it should be showing what is between the <if></if> tags, right?

what am i doing wrong?

thanks
eric