Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Automatic Template Compiler

Development Tool: Automatic Template Compiler
Requirements: PHP 5, vBulletin 3.5+

Summary: Allows you to edit HTML files directly instead of using the AdminCP template editor. ATC will automatically update the database if any changes are detected. This is intended for a development environment only, and will only run while in debug mode.

Why: Template development is a huge PITA because of how templates are stored in the database - they are compiled. This means you cannot simply save a file, or update the database, because vBulletin needs to compile them first, and maybe even update the style cache. This saves TONS of time copy pasting and switching between your editor, your page, and the vBulletin template editor box.

How it works: ATC maintains a checksum (md5 hash) of each template body, and when it finds that one is out of sync with your working copy, it will save that template automatically in a very efficient manner. It updates both the template about to be displayed in memory and also the real copy in the database.

It also includes a very basic import utility so you can copy your existing templates into the filesystem for easy editing.

How to use it: Follow the install instructions, and then whenever you edit a file, the changes will transfer to vBulletin itself.

This was written in PHP 5 (OO) and I have no plans to make it work with PHP 4, but I may eventually build an interface to manage the settings, but for developers, configuring it should be no problem.

[Zachery]

Originally Posted by cheesegrits

I think you'd be amazed at how useful the ATC is, even if you don't do much template editing. You'll save the time it took you to install the ATC the first time you do need to edit a template. Template editing becomes just like PHP editing - make your changes to a simple HTML file using your IDE / code editor, and hit your page again.

I don't do a huge amount of template editing, but the ATC has already become one of those things I don't know how I lived without.

Even if you don't do template editing, just being able to dump all of vB's templates and include them in your IDE's "Search in Files" path is invaluable when trying to work out how vB does something. Like, what does $show['some_show_thingy'] do, how does it get set and where does it get used? One search in your IDE finds all occurrences in PHP and templates.

-- hugh

Meh, I know my way around the template system fairly well, its never bothered me editing it via admincp

[cheesegrits]

Originally Posted by Zachery

Meh, I know my way around the template system fairly well, its never bothered me editing it via admincp

I have no doubt you know the template system like the proverbial back of your hand. I just don't see how anyone could possibly want to use the ACP to edit templates, when they could be using an 'intelligent' HTML/CSS editor instead, and never have to touch the ACP.

IDE's or even basic code editors provide all kinds of nifty support for editing HTML/CSS, like attribute completion, syntax checking, pretty printing, complex search / replace, code snippets, macros, etc. If you have a good IDE (or just install WinMerge), it will also handle diff'ing and merging, making vB upgrading a snap - upgrade, use ATC to dump everything in Master and any customized styles in separate directories, do a "directory diff and merge" in your editor / WinMerge, done.

I just don't see why anyone who does anything like any serious template editing wouldn't want to take advantage of all that.

-- hugh

[vertigo jones]

I love you.

[jGas]

i was able to enable ( ) debug mode...but now what do i have to do to find the html file?

thanks!

[PyroNET]

Originally Posted by vertigo jones

I love you.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Feature suggestions:

Make it able to update css too. One of the things I hate the most is the vBulletin CSS editor.

If I create an html file in the template folder that isn't currently a customized template have it detect such and edit the style to customize that template.

[jGas]

by the way, in the $config, what do you mean for product_id and version?

if i set it on:

$config = array(
		'product' => 'vBulletin',
		'version' => '3.7.0 Beta 5'
	);

it doesn't create any html page on the template folder...

[aisais]

Thank you for such smart idea. It saves a lot of time and efforts.
Tthanks again.

[akanevsky]

Now, this is a very useful modification. Thank you for creating it. Maybe you should suggest jelsoft that they include this into their distribution. Not that I will installing any of the 3.7.0+ versions due to a lot of networking crap in there that I don't think can even be turned off, but still...

[brendanc]

Does this work for 3.7.0 RC1?

[furst]

Let me see if I understand this thing.

Does this mean that with this installed I can open my vBulletin in Dreamweaver, make whatever changes I want, and then it will be updated on my site just like that to reflect the changes I made? If so, that's awesome.