End-User Options - Navbar Forumjump- Adds a DHTML "Forum Jump" menu to your Navbar

Navbar Forumjump

This mod adds a popup menu to the navbar with quick links to all your forums.



If you like this, you can show your support by Rating it, Marking it as installed, Nominating for MOTM, and/or Donating to the author. Thanks, you rock.

Why would you want to install this?

1. Increases usability for your members.
2. Decreases server resources/usage.

How does this increase usability?

In forums I often find myself clicking on the "forum home" link to see the list of forums and then choose one to visit. With this mod, you simply click the "Forum Jump" menu, and down drops a dynamic menu with all your forums (represented in correct hierarchy of parents/children, and organized by category). The user can more easily visualize the structure of your forums, and can get to where they want to go quicker. And this is a lot prettier and better placed than the forum jump at the bottom of the pages.

How does this reduce server resources?

With this mod installed, the users will go directly to the next forum they want to visit without first going to the forum home. This saves the HTTP requests associated with a pageload, as well as the database queries required to generate the page.

All Features.

• Installation is a snap, just import the XML file
• The popup menu looks identical to the other built-in vB popup menus.
• Automatically generates the menu, if you add or remove forums, that's automatically reflected in the menu.
• The menu can optionally display a small icon that links to the last post next to the forum name.
• Respects forum permissions, hidden forums, etc. If the user is not permitted to view the forum, it won't show up, just like on the forum home page.
• No template edits needed.
• Admin control panel that explains everything, and offers many configuration options:
  • Enable / disable the mod
  • Show menu to everyone or only to logged-in members.
  • Optionally specify forums to exclude from the menu.
  • Choose to display the forumjump popup on the left or the right side of the navbar.
  • Choose to display the menu as one column, or separate each category (with its sub-forums) into its own column. You may also specify how many categories to display per column.
  • You define the characters to prepend to the forum titles to show the indented hierarchy of forums
  • Options to configure CSS styles and sizes for the menu. This allows you to shrink the menu if you have many forums by reducing the font size and the cell padding in the menu.
  • You may optionally style the currently selected forum differently than the rest (with CSS).
• The mod is fully phrased, including the ACP options and descriptions.

Changes it makes

Adds one plugin and a control panel options section (and its associated phrases). The menu is attached to the navbar using a template hook.

Installation

1. Download and uncompress the zip file.
2. Import the XML product file in the Admin Control panel.
3. Visit the Options page and see if you want to change any of the default settings. (If you're using less than vB 3.6.8 you'll need to visit the options and see how to manually insert the menu into your templates.)

Changelog/History

Version 1.0.8 Bug fix (Oct. 13, 2007)

Fixed bug when using the forumjump with vBa. (See post #145)

Version 1.0.7 Bug fixes and workarounds (Sept. 18, 2007)

Integrated fix for Smoothie's problems (Post #76 and on)
Fixed display bug from post #101
Workaround for logging out display problem (post #104)
Completely separated the auto-insert code from the manual template inserting.

Version 1.0.6 New Features (Sept. 17, 2007)

Workaround for menu display problem in Opera
New option to add a relative URL to prepend to links (helps when using vBa)
New option to not auto-display menu via template hooks. Provides better compatibility for vB < 3.6.8 and when not displaying menu in the navbar template.

Version 1.0.5 Internal Development - Not released

Version 1.0.4 New features (Sept. 12, 2007)

Added optional link (icon) to the latest post in each forum
Added admin options panel help system.
Added compatibility with vB 3.6.0 to 3.6.8

Version 1.0.3 New features (Sept. 11, 2007)

All error messages output as HTML comments (better end user experience)
You may now specify how many categories are displayed per column

Version 1.0.2 Bug fix (Sept. 10, 2007)

Fixed bug introduced in Version 1.0.1
Added more error checking
Added useful error messages for debugging.

Version 1.0.1 Bug Fixes and Enhancements (Sept. 10, 2007)

Fixed a bug when URLs have session IDs in them.
Added Option to disable the menu for non-logged-in visitors
Added Option to exclude forums

Version 1.0.0 Initial Release


Screenshots



Menu with the icon link to last post enabled.

[Analogpoint]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

This is what I have in the header template:

PHP Code:

$forumjumpmenu <if condition="$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_enable] && $show[popups]"> | </if> 


It looks like you've got the menu only showing to logged in users.. so, try this:

PHP Code:

$forumjumpmenu <if condition="$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_enable] && $show[popups] && ($vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly] && $bbuserinfo[userid])"> | </if> 


That should do the trick.

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by Analogpoint

It looks like you've got the menu only showing to logged in users.. so, try this:

PHP Code:

$forumjumpmenu <if condition="$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_enable] && $show[popups] && ($vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly] && $bbuserinfo[userid])"> | </if> 


That should do the trick.

:up: Perfect, thank you! But if I change it to show menu to everyone, the bar disappears. Anyway to get it to show when needed and not show when not needed, no matter which Navbar Forumjump Options I use?

I tried the first code you posted, but that did not work either.

[Analogpoint]

Yes you're right. My bad.

Here you go.

$forumjumpmenu <if condition="$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_enable] && $show[popups] && (($vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly] && $bbuserinfo[userid]) || !$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly])"> | </if>

Wow, that if statement keeps getting longer and longer.

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by Analogpoint

Yes you're right. My bad.

Here you go.

$forumjumpmenu <if condition="$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_enable] && $show[popups] && (($vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly] && $bbuserinfo[userid]) || !$vboptions[navbar_forumjump_showusersonly])"> | </if>

Wow, that if statement keeps getting longer and longer.

That statement is a work of art. Thanks again.

[carubmun]

Originally Posted by Analogpoint

Make sure you have $template_hook[navbar_buttons_left] in your navbar template.

I still cant figure it out.

Everytime i try to put in the $template_hook[navbar_buttons_left] in either navgbar or header templates... i get things looking really odd and the forum jump doesnt work.

The only way ive gotten the forum jump to work, is to place the $template_hook[navbar_buttons_left] within an already written line of code and replace the part that starts with $ with $template_hook[navbar_buttons_left].

But then i get the ForumJump within the QuickLinks dropdown, or some ugly large block where the FAQ or something else used to be.

Bah what im writing probably makes no sense... i suck at this.
This is my forum if you would be so kind as to take another look....

[carubmun]

Originally Posted by Analogpoint

Go to the product's options page and follow the instructions in the help items. (the little question mark icon.).

If the automatic display is not working, set it to not automatically display, and then insert these two variables into your templates:

$forumjumpmenu -- where you want the menu to appear.
$forumjumphidden -- at the bottom of the same template.

Ok so i tried again... screw sleep!

I was able to use this to get the forum jump to come up without altering my sites formatting.
Except its not in the navbar
If i try it in the navbar i either get nothing, or i get something that moves my formatting around... OR it works but the text inside the forum jump becomes HUGE and there is a weird line through it.

Ive got it to work in the small space under the navbar.... not perfect but its a start.

[Analogpoint]

Originally Posted by carubmun

Ok so i tried again... screw sleep!

I was able to use this to get the forum jump to come up without altering my sites formatting.
Except its not in the navbar
If i try it in the navbar i either get nothing, or i get something that moves my formatting around... OR it works but the text inside the forum jump becomes HUGE and there is a weird line through it.

Ive got it to work in the small space under the navbar.... not perfect but its a start.

Each menu/link in the navbar is in a table cell. Here's the relevant part of the navbar template, where it shows a table, and each link is in a table cell.

<!-- nav buttons bar -->
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" align="center" style="border-top-width:0px">
<tr align="center">
	<if condition="$show['member']">
		<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="usercp.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[user_cp]</a></td>
	</if>
	<if condition="$show['registerbutton']">
		<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="register.php$session[sessionurl_q]" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[register]</a></td>
	</if>
	$template_hook[navbar_buttons_left]
	<td class="vbmenu_control">$forumjumpmenu</td>
	<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="faq.php$session[sessionurl_q]" accesskey="5">$vbphrase[faq]</a></td>
	<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="memberlist.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[members_list]</a></td>
	<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="calendar.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[calendar]</a></td>
	<if condition="$show['popups']">		
		<if condition="$show['searchbuttons']">
			<if condition="$show['member']">
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[new_posts_nav]</a></td>
			<else />
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getdaily" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[todays_posts]</a></td>
			</if>
			<td id="navbar_search" class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php$session[sessionurl_q]" accesskey="4" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[search]</a> <if condition="$show['quicksearch']"><script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("navbar_search"); </script></if></td>
		</if>
		<if condition="$show['member']">
			<td id="usercptools" class="vbmenu_control"><a href="$show[nojs_link]#usercptools" accesskey="3">$vbphrase[quick_links]</a> <script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("usercptools"); </script></td>		
		</if>
	<else />		
		<if condition="$show['searchbuttons']">
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php$session[sessionurl_q]" accesskey="4">$vbphrase[search]</a></td>
			<if condition="$show['member']">
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[new_posts_nav]</a></td>
			<else />
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getdaily" accesskey="2">$vbphrase[todays_posts]</a></td>
			</if>
		</if>
		<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]do=markread" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[mark_forums_read]</a></td>
		<if condition="$show['member']">			
			<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="#" onclick="window.open('misc.php?$session[sessionurl]do=buddylist&amp;focus=1','buddylist','statusbar=no,menubar=no,toolbar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=250,height=300'); return false;">$vbphrase[open_buddy_list]</a></td>			
		</if>			
	</if>
	$template_hook[navbar_buttons_right]
	<if condition="$show['member']">
		<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="login.php?$session[sessionurl]do=logout&amp;logouthash=$bbuserinfo[logouthash]" onclick="return log_out('$vbphrase[sure_you_want_to_log_out]')">$vbphrase[log_out]</a></td>
	</if>
</tr>
</table>
<!-- / nav buttons bar -->

The navbar forumjump menu, when automaically displaying, outputs the menu where the template hooks are ($template_hook[navbar_buttons_left] or $template_hook[navbar_buttons_right] depending on your settings), and the menu is wrapped in <td> tags so that it is put inside a table cell. When autodisplay is off, the menu is not inside <td> tags, since people often want to put it elsewhere, in the header or somewhere else.

If you want to put the menu in the navbar without using the template hooks, just do this:

<td class="vbmenu_control">$forumjumpmenu</td>

then at the bottom of the template put this:

$forumjumphidden

[adnan2007]

Awesome mod.

I was wondering if theres a way to move the jump all the way to the left.

thx

[Analogpoint]

Originally Posted by adnan2007

Awesome mod.

I was wondering if theres a way to move the jump all the way to the left.

thx

Thanks.

1. Turn 'auto display' off.
2. Edit the navbar template

2a. Find this part of the template and add the code in red.

<!-- nav buttons bar -->
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" align="center" style="border-top-width:0px">
<tr align="center">
	<td class="vbmenu_control">$forumjumpmenu</td>
	<if condition="$show['member']">
		<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="usercp.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[user_cp]</a></td>
	</if>

2b. Add $forumjumphidden to the bottom of the navbar template.

[carubmun]

Originally Posted by Analogpoint

Each menu/link in the navbar is in a table cell. Here's the relevant part of the navbar template, where it shows a table, and each link is in a table cell.

The navbar forumjump menu, when automaically displaying, outputs the menu where the template hooks are ($template_hook[navbar_buttons_left] or $template_hook[navbar_buttons_right] depending on your settings), and the menu is wrapped in <td> tags so that it is put inside a table cell. When autodisplay is off, the menu is not inside <td> tags, since people often want to put it elsewhere, in the header or somewhere else.

If you want to put the menu in the navbar without using the template hooks, just do this:

<td class="vbmenu_control">$forumjumpmenu</td>

then at the bottom of the template put this:

$forumjumphidden

You have been great with all your help and now i just feel like a failure at vb..
Ive tried everything you have suggested and i cant seem to make it work right.
I can make it show up on the navbar but it ends up having this huge colored background and then actual ForumJump content comes out huge and with strange colors as well.
Of course it works great with default template, and it worked fine when i reverted certain parts of this template that 3.6.8 asked me to revert.

BTW, on this template... there is no <!-- nav buttons bar --> area in my navbar template, its in my header template.
I tried making the changes in header and in importing your whole bit of code you posted into navgar... but i still got ugly.

I have it up so you can see how it looks.