Add-On Releases - AJAX Tabs Content Script v2

AJAX Tabs Content Script - Version 2.0

Note: Altho this "How To" is written for implementation within vbadvanced CMPS, this can also be easily implemented anywhere within vB , ie on custom vB pages or within current vB pages.

Description/Whats changed within this release?: This new version (based on the AJAX Tabs Content Script (v 2.0) written by Dynamic Drive - http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...tent/index.htm) is a versatile Ajax script that lets you display content pulled from external files inside a DIV and organized via CSS tabs. A fully unobtrusive, CSS and HTML based script, it supports practical features such as persistence of the active tab (ie: when page is reloaded), an "IFRAME" mode, a "slideshow" mode, ability to expand/contract arbitrary DIVs on the page at the same time, nested tabs, and much more. Below lists the features of this script that together make it highly adaptable in the real world:

Here's a quick outline of the script features:

• Fetch and display an external page (from the same domain) inside a container when a tab is clicked on via Ajax.
• (v 2.0) Apart from Ajax, an external page can also be fetched and displayed via the IFRAME element instead. This is useful for external pages that either contain JavaScript/ CSS code that doesn't run properly when fetched via Ajax, or the page is from an outside domain.
• Add a "default" content inside the container to either be shown while no tabs are selected, or to be associated with a specific tab. The default content is added inline on the page and not fetched via Ajax, to avoid unnecessary fetching of external pages.
• Supports session only persistence, so the last tab user clicked on is remembered if he/she returns to the page within the same browser session.
• (v 2.0) Supports auto "slideshow" mode, in which script automatically cycles through and selects each tab periodically until a tab is explicitly selected.
• (v 2.0) Ability to also expand/contract arbitrary DIVs on the page as the tabbed content is expanded/ contracted.
• (v 2.0) Ability to dynamically select a tab either based on its position within its peers, or its ID attribute.
• (v 2.0) Ability to directly load a different external page into the content container, either via Ajax or IFRAME.
• (v 2.0) Ability to set where the CSS class "selected" get assigned when a tab is clicked on- either on the tab link itself (its "a" element), or its parent instead (ie: "li" element). This makes the script adaptable to both CSS Tabs that are styled at the "A" level itself, or its parent container instead.
• (v 2.0) Supports nested Ajax Tabs! In other words, you can have an external page fetched via Ajax contain in itself Ajax Tabs that show their own contents when clicked on as well. This is made possible using the "onajaxpageload" custom event handler (see documentation).
• Supports multiple Ajax Tabs Contents on the same page.
• Fully unobtrusive, search engine friendly design. For search engines or browsers with JavaScript disabled, the external contents will just load as actual pages (instead of via Ajax).

Reminder: Due to security limitations, the external pages loaded via each tab using Ajax must reside on the same domain as the script itself. This limitation doesn't apply if you use the "IFRAME" option to fetch and show the external page instead.

This is what I've done so far to implement AJAX Tabs functionality for my websites and others. I hope that its easy to follow along, answers your questions and meets your needs. If you are reading this and wondering what a tabbed content is, check out the screen shots for a visual.

CMPS Version Note: Coded for CMPS v3.0. Modifications can be made to the php files (Require Back-End) to work with CMPS v2.x

CMPS Module Type: TEMPLATE w/Alternative Module Wrapper Template
Templates: adv_portal_Tab_Block_Main, adv_portal_alt_module_wrapper (optional)
Files: ajaxtabs.js, ajaxtabs.css, Sample Content Files, images

Note: I've included sample files in the attached Zip File to use with the step by step how to.

Step 1. Upload the ajaxtabs directory (located in the attached Zip File) to the FORUMS Root.
This directory contains the ajaxtabs.js file & the ajaxtabs.css file
path example: /www/forums/ajaxtabs/ajaxtabs.js


Step 2. Modify CSS file.
Use Attached Sample CSS file - Sample name: ajaxtabs.css
Change paths to images to reflect your domain and forum root (2 lines)...

Note: Additional Modifications to this file can be made once you get the initial sample system up and running.


Step 3. Create, Name and Upload Multiple "Content" files.
Use attached Sample PHP "Content" file - Sample name: tabexternal.php (I've included working samples in the attached Zip File).

NOTE: Please read the Instructions TXT File for the edits that need to be made in order for them to work on your site.

The location I chose for these was the FORUMS root.
path example: /www/forums
You can name these files anything you want. For example, I chose a naming convention - tabexternal.htm, tabexternal2.php, tabrecentnews.php, tabvbookie.php, ..etc etc

Note: Further Modifications to these files can be made once you get the initial system up and running.


Step 4. (optional) Create an Alternative Module Wrapper Template.
Use attached Sample Alternative Module Wrapper Template - Sample name: adv_portal_alt_module_wrapper

I chose to do this, because I didn't want to use the standard Module Wrapper that comes default with vBadvanced.

NOTE: Use the default wrapper if you choose not to create your own custom one.


Step 5. Create a new Template.
Use attached sample Custom Template Sample name: adv_portal_Tab_Block_Main

This template will be the one that you include with the module that you will create in Step 6. I've included the code for the sample template in the attached file, HOWEVER, there are some edits that you will need to make to the code based upon steps 1-3 above.

EDITS NEEDED TO THE ATTACHED SAMPLE TEMPLATE:

EDIT 1 - Path location of the ajaxtabs.css file created in step 2. Simply edit this line in the template to the correct path.

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/forums/ajaxtabs/ajaxtabs.css" />

EDIT 2 - Path location of the ajaxtabs.js file in step 1. Simply edit this line in the template to the correct path where you uploaded the ajaxtabs.js file.

<script type="text/javascript" src="/forums/ajaxtabs/ajaxtabs.js">

EDIT 3 - Path location of the "Content" file(s) created in step 3. Simply edit the line(s) in the template to the correct path where you uploaded the PHP file(s).

<li class="selected"><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabexternal.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Tab 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabexternal2.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Tab 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabexternal3.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Tab 3</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabexternal4.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Tab 4</a></li>

Step 6. Create a new CMPS TEMPLATE Module.
Name it what ever you like. Include the template that you created in Step 5 above. Make sure that you either use the Module Wrapper Template OR the Alternative Module Wrapper Template that you created in optional Step 4 above. Give permission(s) to the user groups that you want to be able to view this.


Step 7. Add the Module to a CMPS page.
Add the module created in Step 6 above to any CMPS page (make a test page if you want to)...


Step 8. Load the CMPS page that you added the module to.
If you performed the above steps correctly, the result will be a tabbed block module with 4 tabs named Tab 1, Tab 2, Tab 3, Tab 4. The content for Tab 1 will say "Congrats USERNAME! You have successfully added AJAX Tab Content to your Site."


CUSTOMIZATION

Style: Modify CSS File in Step 2 to match the Style of your site. The Sample CSS Files comes with 3 different styles of Tab Layouts. Choose the one that best suits your needs and further modify the CSS to match your sites Style(s)....

Tab Names: Modify Template created in Step 5 to change the NAME of the tabs themselves - ie.. from Tab 1 to Announcements (see below)

<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabexternal.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Announcements</a></li>

Content: Modify "Content" File(s) created in Step 3 to generate content. You can add static content or Dynamic Content. Below is a very very basic sample of what can be done.

Sample mix of static and dynamic content

PHP Code:

<?php

echo '<table cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0" width=100%><tr> <td class="alt2"><span class="smallfont">Welcome Back To YOURSITENAMEHERE&nbsp;<b>' . $vbulletin->userinfo['username'] . '!</b><br><br>Hope you are enjoying the off season so far.<br><br> The Draft, Mini Camps & Hall of Fame Weekend Events are complete, Train Camps are in full swing and Preseason Games have started to kick off!<br><br>
Im sure these next few weeks will be fun to follow and make the upcoming season even more exciting. <br><br>Good luck with your team&nbsp;<b>' .  $vbulletin->userinfo['username'] . '.</b></span></td></tr>';

?>

NOTE: You can get as creative as you want to with content (Both static and Dynamic). For example, I took code from the recentthreads.php file, modified it and included that as tabbed content to display recent threads within a tab on my site (as seen in the screen shots attached in Post 1 of this thread). (I've included samples with instructions of this within the zip file. Side Note: use/modify these samples at your own risk)


Turning on "slideshow" mode

You can have the tabs within your Ajax Tabs Content automatically rotate every x seconds until a user explicitly clicks on a tab. To enable "slideshow" mode on your Tab Content, just pass in an integer when calling instance.init() to initialize your script: This is located at the bottom of the Template you created in step 5

<script type="text/javascript">
var mytabs=new ddajaxtabs("maintab", "ajaxcontentarea")
mytabs.setpersist(true)
mytabs.setselectedClassTarget("link") //"link" or "linkparent"
mytabs.init(15000)
</script>
</body>
</td></tr>

Notice the integer in red, which is in units of milliseconds. With one defined, the script will rotate through the tabs every x milliseconds (so 15000=15 seconds).


ADDING MORE TABS

To add more tabs, you will need to modify the template created in Step 5 and create a new "content" file for each new tab (as explained in Step 3).

Step 1. Add the following line of code to the Template that you created in Step 5 for each new Tab that you want to appear. Its a good idea when you add the lines that you keep them in order with the other lines currently in the file.

<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/CONTENT FILE" rel="ajaxcontentarea">TAB NAME</a></li>

Example:

<li><a href="http://www.domain.com/forums/tabcontent5.php" rel="ajaxcontentarea">Sports News</a></li>

Step 2. Upload the newly created "Content" file (as explained in Step 3) to your FORUMS root.


Additional Enhancements

Please see post 2 of this thread for additional enhancements.

If you want to read up on AJAX Tabs, check out the Ajax Tabs Content script over at Dynamic Drive (http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...tent/index.htm)

....thats it in a nutshell.... I do hope that I explained things well enough to at least get a head start on AJAX Tabbed Content. Let me know if you have any problems or need further explanation on anything...

Thanks and enjoy Bobster

Screen Shots Explained:

The 1st is an example of "Slideshow" Mode
The 2nd is an example of some dynamic content based on the user.
The 3rd is an example of modified recentthreads.php used within a tab.
The 4th is an example of using modified vbarticles within a tab.
The 5th is an examples of custom dynamic content within a tab.

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Mr. Boo

I got it thanks, I had the old tabs_block_main template. Changed that and its working fine again now Thanks for your help

No Problem... when you get time, click install

[ZiG]

hey, im not excellent at hard coding PHP so could I get a little bit of assistance in preparing a tabexternal.php for a specific GARs module I am trying to put together to work with this script. basically what this module does is pull the latest defined amount of stories you want pulled from a specific GARs forum, and displays it similarly to how recent threads are displayed in the recent thread tabexternal.php. the only difference is that there is a GARs header_image that is pulled, and also a byline that are taken from different sql tables (gars g sql tables, not thread tables). if any of you use GARs, you should have an idea of what i'm talking about.

here is the GARs module code i am trying to plug into your ajax tabs script:

<?php

        //SETTINGS

    $forumids = "20";   		//      Comma seperated list of forumids
    $limit = 5;         		//      How many items to show
    $title = "News"; 			//        Module Title
    $featured = 0;              //      1= Only featured items
    $url_to_default_image = "types/3/default.jpg"; //Relative URL to default image from geek/gars/images/ folder
    $vertical = 1;      		//      1= Vertical (only for template 1 or 3)
    $preview = 1;       		//      1= Show preview
    $ratings = 0;       		//      1=show ratings
    $template = 2;              //      1=simple with pic, 2=big with pic, 3=Listing no pic
    $order = 1;                 //      0 = rand, 1=desc, 2=asc
    $maxchars = 400;    		//  Maximum amount of chards to snip
    $customfields = false; 		// Set to true to grab the custom fields.
    $parsebb = true;			//set to true to parse preview

    // END SETTINGS

    switch ($order)
    {
        case 0:
                $order = "RAND()"; break;
        case 1:
                $order = "g.threadid DESC"; break;
        default:
                $order = "g.threadid ASC";
    }
    if (!$limit)
    {
        $limit = "1";
    }


        $sql = "SELECT g.threadid,g.header_image image, p.title, g.byline, t.forumid, t.dateline, t.postuserid, t.postusername " .
                ($preview ? ", IF(g.synopsis, g.synopsis, p.pagetext) synopsis " : "") .
                ($ratings ? ",round((g.overall_rating/10),0) author_rating, g.overall_rating author_rating_percent,round((g.avg_rating/10),0) member_rating, g.avg_rating member_rating_percent " : "" ) .
            ",g.pagecount, g.custom2 " . ($customfields ? ",gcv.*" : "") . " FROM
            " . TABLE_PREFIX . "gars g
            " . ($customfields ? " INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "gars_custom_values gcv ON gcv.custom_threadid = g.threadid " : "") . "
                        INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "thread t ON g.threadid = t.threadid
            INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "post p ON t.firstpostid = p.postid
            WHERE t.visible = 1 AND t.open != 10
            " . ($forumids ? " AND t.forumid in ($forumids) " : "" ) . "
            " . ($featured ? " AND g.feature_untill> " . TIMENOW : "") . "
            ORDER BY $order LIMIT $limit";

        $results = $db->query_read($sql);
    $modulehtml = "";
    $x = 0;
    $bburl = $vbulletin->options['bburl'];
    if ($template==2)
    {
        $vertical = 1;
    }

    $mods['colspan'] = ($template==2 ? 3 : $x);
    $mods['collapse'] = $mods['modid'];
    $modcollapse = $vbcollapse["collapseobj_module_" . $mods['modid'] . ""];
    $modimgcollapse = $vbcollapse["collapseimg_module_" . $mods['modid'] . ""];

    while ($result = $db->fetch_array($results))
    {

        if (!$result['image'])
        {
            $result['image'] = $vbulletin->options['bburl'] . "/geek/gars/images/" . $url_to_default_image;
        }
        elseif (substr($result['image'], 0, 1) == ".")
        {
            $result['image'] = $vbulletin->options['bburl'] . substr($result['image'], 1);
        }
        else
        {
            $result['image'] = $vbulletin->options['bburl'] . $result['image'];
        }

        if ($parsebb && $template!=3)
        {
            $result['message'] = $bbcode_parser->do_parse($result['synopsis'], 0, 1, 1, 1);
        }
        else
        {
            $result['message'] = strip_bbcode($result['synopsis']);
        }

        if (strlen($result['message']) > $maxchars)
        {
            $result['message'] = substr($result['message'], 0, strrpos(substr($result['message'], 0, $maxchars), ' ')) . '...' . ($template!=3 ? construct_phrase($vbphrase['read_more'], $vbulletin->options['bburl'], $result['threadid'], $session['sessionurl']) : "");
        }

        $result['dateposted'] = vbdate($vbulletin->options['dateformat'], $result['dateline']);

        eval('$bits = "' . fetch_template('adv_portal_gars_bit' . $template) . '";');

        if ($vertical && ($template != 2))
        {
            $modulehtml .= "<tr>$bits</tr>";
        }
        elseif ($vertical && $template == 2)
        {
                $mods['title'] = "<a href=\"$bburl/showthread.php?t=$result[threadid]\">$result[title]</a>";
                $modulehtml = $bits;
                eval('$home[$mods[\'modid\']][\'content\'] .= "' . fetch_template('adv_portal_module_shell') . '";');
        }
        else
        {
            $modulehtml .= $bits;
            $x++;
        }


    }
    if ($modulehtml && ($template != 2))
    {
        if (!$vertical)
        {
                $modulehtml = "<tr>$modulehtml</tr>";
        }
        $home[$mods['modid']]['content'] .= $modulehtml;
    }
    elseif ($modulehtml && $template == 2)
    {
        $mods['noshell'] = true;
    }


?>

This is actually a CMPS module file, intended to be used with vBa CMPS, plugged in via the CMPS module system. you can find the actual module file and more information on the module here:

http://www.thevbgeek.com/showthread.php?t=1439

You can see the module running right on my webpage, underneath the News & Press Releases block, over at:

http://www.ready-up.com

Please help me to get this module running within the ajax tabs, I think it would be a great addition to this script as a lot of people use GARs. I tried myself to get it working, and I will continue trying on my own but like I've said i'm not so great at hardcoding PHP so i'm posting here in hope of getting a little bit of assistance. if i do happen to get this working, i will post the tabexternal php files for everyone else to use.

thanks in advance to anyone who helps out

[glorify]

Don't have experience with Gars. Your site rocks btw

[ZiG]

thanks man, so does yours

------------------------------

**UPDATE

I actually got it working on my own i'll post the files soon...you can see it running on my site right now for the news articles. im going to try to make one for the gallery also...

[Maddogz420]

Had a problem, fixed it. Just misread the instructions..


Great hack, installed!


Okay, now we have this...

Warning: array_merge() [function.array-merge]: Argument #1 is not an array in /includes/vba_cmps_include_template.php on line 47

http://www.mischiefsociety.com/vb/cm...e=testhomepage


But it doesnt matter, im using html pages anyways....

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Maddogz420

http://www.mischiefsociety.com/vb/cm...e=testhomepage

Having some trouble with this... Ive gone thru the instructions a thousand times now and just gotta ask... how'd i fudge this one up?

I've seen this issue before (you are not the first).... trying to remember exactly what the cause was... I know its something simple..... I'm sure I will remember what the solution is in a few and THIS time I will write it down and add it to the troubleshooting guide lol.. sorry that you are having problems installing it.. we'll get ya hooked up even if I have to take a closer look at your setup.

Thanks.. Bob

EDIT: Remembered what it was... incorrect path to either the CSS or JS file or forgot to do the first few procedures in Step 5 of the instructions..

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Maddogz420

Had a problem, fixed it. Just misread the instructions..

Great hack, installed!

Okay, now we have this...

http://www.mischiefsociety.com/vb/cm...e=testhomepage

Just remark that include out in the content files

[Maddogz420]

Thanks, on second thought ill be trying to get one of your php pages you packaged working.. I see you caught all my post edits, didnt think the response would be so quick !

Killer mod dude!

What i did originally was made a template page, instead of making a module then adding it to a page... doh!

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Maddogz420

Thanks, on second thought ill be trying to get one of your php pages you packaged working.. I see you caught all my post edits, didnt think the response would be so quick !

Killer mod dude!

What i did originally was made a template page, instead of making a module then adding it to a page... doh!

Cool Beans... I just happened to be online when you posted ... and ya, just remove that include in any of the "content" files that craps out on ya.. everything else will run just fine.

[Maddogz420]

Heres a live demo if you need one (or another)

http://www.mischiefsociety.com/vb/cmps_index.php

Smecksie stuff =)