Arrange Sub-Forums in columns

There's also a vB 3.5 version here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=82845

What it does
This hack arranges sub-forums on the forum home into 2 (or more) columns, makeing large lists of sub-forums more presentable. You can see it in action on my forums here:

Demo
http://forum.lowcarber.org

Note:
1. You need to enable sub-forum display on the forum home from your vB admin panel
2. This hack is for the forum home page, not forum display.

To enable sub-forums on the forum home page
1. Go to your forum Admin panel
2. Click vBulletin Options
3. Select "Forum Listings Display Options" from the drop down list
4. In "Depth of Sub-Forums" replace 0 with 1

Installation
To install, edit the file functions_forumlist.php (in the includes directory)

1. Find

PHP Code:

      foreach($vbulletin->iforumcache["$parentid"] AS $forumid) 


Place this code above it:

PHP Code:

$output .= "<table width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" ><tr valign=\"top\"> ";
      $cols = 0; 


2. Find

PHP Code:

            eval('$subforum = "' . fetch_template("forumhome_subforumbit_$canpost") . '";');
            if (!empty($output))
            {
                $subforum = $splitter["$canpost"] . $subforum;
            }
            if ($depth < $vbulletin->options['subforumdepth'])
            {
                $output .= construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1);
            }
        }
    }

    return $output;

} 


Replace with

PHP Code:

            eval('$subforum = "' . fetch_template("forumhome_subforumbit_$canpost") . '";');
                    if ($depth < $vbulletin->options['subforumdepth'])
                        {
                                $cols++;
                                if ($cols==3)
                                        {
                                        $cols = 1;
                                        $output .=  "</tr><tr>";
                                        }

                        $output .= '<td width="50%">' . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . "</td>";
                        }
        }
    }

        if ($cols ==1) $output.="<td>&nbsp;</td></tr></table>";
    else $output.="</tr></table>";

        return $output;

} 


To put them in 3 columns, instead of t2, just edit this line "if ($cols==3)" to "if ($cols==4)" and change this line:

PHP Code:

                  $output .= "<td width=\"50%\">" . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . ""; 


To this:

PHP Code:

                  $output .= "<td width=\"33%\">" . construct_subforum_bit($forumid, $cancontainthreads, $subforum, $depthmark . '--', $depth + 1) . ""; 


Template modification (optional)
As this hack will list the sub-forums in a table, the font used is not effected by the <div> tag for subforums, which will cause the default font to be used instead of smallfont.

To use smallfont for sub-forum names, edit the "forumhome_subforumbit_post"

Change (this is the whole template)

<img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/subforum_$forum[statusicon].gif" alt="" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]">$forum[title]</a>

To:

<img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/subforum_$forum[statusicon].gif" alt="" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><span class="smallfont">$forum[title]</span></a>

And for those who want to edit or remove the "Sub-forum" word, just remove (or edit, if you just want to change it) "<strong>$vbphrase[subforums]</strong>:" from the "forumhome_forumbit_level2_post" template

Screen shots, before/after

[axi]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Not sure. Double check your steps.

i even quadtripple checked them.

everything is right.

[b65ran]

Originally Posted by tamarian

In this line:


You can change the zero in cellspacing and/or cellpadding until it's spcaed enough for your style.

Thank you tamarin.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by axi

i even quadtripple checked them.

everything is right.

What's your forum url?

[axi]

<a href="http://www.beastclub.com.au/forums/" target="_blank">http://www.beastclub.com.au/forums/</a>

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by axi

http://www.beastclub.com.au/forums/

You forum does not contain any sub-forums. So the hack is working, but it has no sub-dorums to arrange

You have categories, and forums under those categories. So for category "Garage", it contains a forum called "Mechanical". If the "mechanical" forum had sub-forums, sich as "old motors" and "new motors", those two would become sub-forums.

[axi]

isnt this hack to view the whole system like yours?
because each forum has smaller subforums inside?

[dsboyce8624]

I have the same thing, is there a way to change the categories to forums, but not allow posting to them. I'd really like to use this, but I don't want threads in the top level.

Dennis

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by axi

isnt this hack to view the whole system like yours?
because each forum has smaller subforums inside?

Yes, if you have sub-forums, they will look like mine. But your forum has no sub-forums.

For a quick test, create two new test forums, and choos the "Errors & Problems" as a parent, in the parent field. Then look at the main page, you will have the 2 new test forums listed like my sub-forums.

There is another hack, to arrange forums (not sub-forums) in a similar way. Check it out:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=59958

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by dsboyce8624

I have the same thing, is there a way to change the categories to forums, but not allow posting to them.

Check Xenon's hack:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=59958

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Check Xenon's hack:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=59958

Well, I changed one of the cats to a forum just for fun, attached is what happens.

I just checked the "Act as Forum" button. Could this be because of my custom skin?