Version: 3.01, by Logician
Developer Last Online: Nov 2023
Version: 3.0.11
Rating:
Released: 02-15-2005
Last Update: 07-24-2005
Installs: 142
No support by the author.
After a long wait, here is the new 3.x version of Webtemplates for vB 3.x boards. First a short introduction for users who are not familiar with the old version:
This hack is a vBulletin integrated content management system. Term "Webtemplates" stands for dynamic webpages that reside in your MYSQL database and administered inside your vbulletin admin control panel. But they are more than regular site pages because they can automatically inherit visual design of your forum, can apply permissions according to your vb usergroup settings, can keep track of page counts, last visitorname/visit time, display page browsers in the page itself and in your whoisonline page etc. So basically webtemplates are dynamic web pages of your site which are powered by vbulletin. Or more simply putting, with this hack you can create regular HTML pages in your vB admin cp and these pages will be integrated into your vbulletin database about permissions, styles etc.
WEBTEMPLATES 3.x FEATURES:
Easy Installation : Webtemplates can be installed to your board without modifying even a single vbulletin file, nor does it modify any vbulletin database table! It is coded as an add-on, not a hack.
Apply VB Permissions: You can ban any webtemplate to any user or usergroup according to their userids or usergroupids. So for instance you can design a webtemplate which only members can see while guests can not, or only user A can not see etc.
Private Webtemplates : With 1 click you can make a webtemplate "private" and it will be displayed to only certain usergroups.
Draft Webtemplates : You can put webtemplates in "draft" mode which makes them invisible to all but admins.
Page Counter : Each webtemplate has a built-in counter and you can display page count to your visitors and you can edit it or turn it OFF or ON per webtemplate basis.
Visitor Logging&Tracking : You can track certain users' (by usergroup or userid) webtemplates visits to see who visited a webtemplate and when. This is configurable per webtemplate basis. Webtemplates have visits logs which admins can see.
Site Contributers (Editor) Support : You can grant editing permissions for certain users or usergroups for your webtemplates individually and they will be able to update these webtemplates using their own editor interface. vB's WYSIWYG editor is supported in Editor interface!
Page Browsers Display : Webtemplates can display who is browsing that webtemplate while people is reading them (like default forum browse display of vbulletin)
Who is Online Display : Webtemplates can display page visitors in who is online (This is Optional and require a simple hacking in file /functions_online.php). You can create private webtemplates which are hidden in who is online too.
Header/Footer Inclusion : Webtemplates can automatically use headers/footers (your default vb header/footer or custom ones)
Help Documents : The script comes with built-in & detailed help documents (they are webtemplates too).
Admin Panel in Webtemplates : Your webtemplates can include an "admin panel" displayed to only admins and by using them you can access many details and stats of your page while you are browsing them.
Good Performance : Webtemplates 3.x structured so that it performs well even under heavy load conditions and high traffic servers. (See Performance issues below)
Easy Back up: Simply back up your database (inside vbulletin or externally) and all your webtemplate structure is also backed up automatically.
ADVANCED FEATURES FOR ADVANCED USERS:
Webquery Feature : With advanced "webquery" feature you can now add create dynamic webtemplates which include database query results. For instance you can easily add "last 10 threads forum X", "most active users list" etc. to your webtemplates with default webqueries that comes with installation or you can create your custom webqueries with basic SQL knowledge.
Multi Parsing : Webtemplates can parse PHP or HTML or TEXT (=smilie/img tags/bbcode parsing like vb posts). This means you can design a page just like vb posts (TEXT parsing), standart HTML (HTML parsing) or even in PHP (PHP parsing).
PHPINCLUDE per webtemplate : Every webtemplate has its own "phpinclude" field which you can run PHP codes before loading the Webtemplate
Theme Support : Webtemplates support "themes" which are parent webtemplates which include child webtemplates in them. For instance if you have 20 similiar pages which uses the same visual look, you can make a single theme for all of them, then just insert their content into this theme. If you change theme later, all 20 pages' visual will change automatically.
Conditionals : Webtemplates has built-in support for Logician's advanced templates conditionals so you can design webtemplates which change their display under different conditions. (Even if you don't have that hack installed)
Default variables : You can use/display certain variables in your webtemplates like username of the visitor, visitor email address, last visit time, page creation time, page last edit time, Last visitor name, last visit time etc.
Archieve to Text File : Webtemplates/Webqueries can be downloaded to a text file with one click for archiving purposes. You can also easily share these text files with other hack users.
Outside Variables : Advanced users can now use outside variables in webtemplates, then webtemplates will accept/use/process user sent variables via HTTP_GET and HTTP_POST methods (eg. a HTML form can post to a webtemplate with this feature)
For screenshots, FAQ, performance issues, migration from old version to new version, see below.
If you use the hack, clicking here will make sure you'll know about updates&bug fixes. It will also help me understand how many people is using the hack so please click the install button if you use it. Thank you..
This addon is so exciting that I will post yet another compliment to the maker.
Since I dicovered this little gem my head has been spinning whilst on the pillow
I can't stop thinking of ways to make it work for my support forums.
The only thing I wish it had was stronger intergration towards a front page
system because other than the url I see no reason why this couldn't deliver
the perfect CMS system homepage included.
Oh and if the coder is in the mood to consider it making the $functions line up
with vbull.'s default would be a nice touch, not that it matters in functionality
jus thought I would mention it
Most of the links in that webtemplate are also webtemplates so you can follow them. It is also a good example of theme usage.
For more examples search "Logician Webtemplates" in google and you'll find some others.
PHP Code:
2) If I use this, do I need vBAdvanced?
Although I don't have experience with vbadvanced, I know that it is a powerful portal. Webtemplates is not exactly a portal as it does not give you a site main page (see FAQ). So if you have a sitemain page or don't care about one, IMO use webtemplates. If you want a site main page solution use vbadvanced. Or better use both.
in webtemplates phpinclude field should do the trick.
I finally had the chance to try this out, it does nothing that I can see as far
as applying a specific vbulletin style to a webtemplate. Might I of forgotten
a setting that would be needed to go along with this?
I thought it didn't work because when I would return to the forums without
re-applying default style it would inherit and keep the $styleid I would put in the
webtemplate.
Is there a way to apply a style only for one page?
ex: as it is, if the user leaves and returns that style will remain so if I rely on that
style to format aspects of the forum or individual pages it really messes things up.