vB4.2 Navigation Manager - how to discussion

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by nhawk

But I see people using it something like this...

in PHP..
While $whatever...
{
      $whatever_each_array[] = xpartofdata;
}
$templater->register('whatever'. $whatever_each_array);

In template..
<ul>
<vb:each whatever_each>
	<li>{vb:raw whatever_array_part}</li>
</vb:each>
</ul>

Although that is a bit slower than hardcoding the HTML, this is the way it should be done as it separates the presentation from the business logic.

If the designer want's to do smth. complletely different from <ul> he can do that by simply modifying the template - with the list entries being generated in PHP he can't

[kh99]

Originally Posted by Andreas

<vb:each> is a lot faster then doing a ton of vB_Template::create() ... render() calls in a loop

I'm curious, do you know why that is? Is it the time needed to create the objects?

[AusPhotography]

Originally Posted by kh99

I'm curious, do you know why that is? Is it the time needed to create the objects?

The render uses 'eval' 'nuff said

Kym

[AusPhotography]

This is very handy... https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=283123 (Thanks Andreas)

Also Scott's post on vb.com https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/show...56#post2295256

[nhawk]

Originally Posted by Andreas

Although that is a bit slower than hardcoding the HTML, this is the way it should be done as it separates the presentation from the business logic.

If the designer want's to do smth. complletely different from <ul> he can do that by simply modifying the template - with the list entries being generated in PHP he can't

Even though I'm not a big fan of anything that increases processing time, I see your point.

And a note for any other coders that might want to add menus via DB addition rather than at installation.. Be sure you run build_language() after adding the navigation and phrase info. If you don't, your phrase won't appear in the menus.

EDIT: Another note.. The information that's the original topic of this thread gets added to the install XML when you export it. So, you just need to create the navigation links and export a new XML for the mod.

[kh99]

Originally Posted by snoopytas

The render uses 'eval' 'nuff said

Kym

OK, but I ran this modified version of the benchmark:

PHP Code:

require('./global.php');
require(DIR . '/includes/adminfunctions_template.php');

$vbulletin->options['addtemplatename'] = 0;

$vbulletin->templatecache['text_bit'] = compile_template('{vb:raw text}');
$vbulletin->templatecache['text'] = compile_template('{vb:raw textbits}');
$vbulletin->templatecache['text_foreach'] = compile_template('<vb:each from="textbits" value="text">{vb:raw text}</vb:each>');

// Benchmarking bit templates
$start = microtime(true);
$textbits ='';
for ($i = 1; $i < 10000; $i++)
{
    //$templater = vB_Template::create('text_bit');
    //$templater->register('text', 'This is Text #' . $i);
    //$textbits .= $templater->render();
    $text = 'This is Text #' . $i;
    eval($vbulletin->templatecache['text_bit']);
    $textbits .= $final_rendered;
}
$templater = vB_Template::create('text');
$templater->register('textbits', $textbits);
$result1 = trim($templater->render());
$end = microtime(true);
header('Content-type: text/plain');
echo('Time taken for 10.000 Bit Templates: ' . ($end-$start) . "\n");

// Benachmarking <vb:each>
$start = microtime(true);
$textbits = array();
for ($i = 1; $i < 10000; $i++)
{
    $textbits[] = 'This is Text #' . $i;
}
$templater = vB_Template::create('text_foreach');
$templater->register('textbits', $textbits);
$result2 = trim($templater->render());
$end = microtime(true);
echo('Time taken for 10.000 Array-Elements with <vb:each>: ' . ($end-$start) . "\n");

if ($result1 == $result2)
{
    echo('Success - Both methods yielded the same result data');
}
else
{
    echo('Huh? Smth. went wrong, the results are not identical');
    echo("\n\n----\n$result1\n----\n$result2");
} 


and I got these results:

Time taken for 10.000 Bit Templates: 0.072948932647705
Time taken for 10.000 Array-Elements with <vb:each>: 0.011199951171875
Success - Both methods yielded the same result data

vs. these for the original version:

Time taken for 10.000 Bit Templates: 1.542927980423
Time taken for 10.000 Array-Elements with <vb:each>: 0.011492967605591
Success - Both methods yielded the same result data

That's 6.5 times slower vs 134 times slower, and seems to indicate that eval() isn't the main offender.

[Andreas]

It's basically the overhead required for variable registration and object creation that makes rending templates in a loop pretty slow.

[kh99]

Yeah, I played around more and found that my times dropped from 1.5 to 0.7 just by not calling register_globals().

[BirdOPrey5]

Originally Posted by Andreas

If it is a "static" link - yes, it should be added to the navigation table upon Add-on installation.
(Which will happen automatically if you have already added that link on your developement system, assigned in to the Add-on and exported the XML).

But if it's not a static link? I'm supposed to tell user's to do it themselves now because vBulletin thinks they want more control over their navbar? Respectfully, most user's do not want total control, they want things done for them.

I've come up with this code, it's not efficient but it works, I will work on efficiency-

nhawk I know you mentioned making a database change but I prefer to avoid db edits if possible.

This example adds a link to Quick Links
No phrase needed.

On navigation_tab_complete hook:

PHP Code:

//Quick Links Add in 4.2.0 Start
  foreach ($tabdata AS $key => &$thistab)
  {
   if (is_array($thistab['children']))
   {
    foreach ($thistab['children'] AS &$ttab)
    {
     if ($ttab['name'] == 'vbmenu_qlinks')
     {
       $nl['root']  = $key;
       $nl['type']  = 'link';
       $nl['url']    = 'myfile.php';
       $nl['title']  = 'Link Title';
       $nl['name']  = 'custom_name_here';
       $nl['children'] = 0;
       $ttab['children'][] =  $nl;
     }
    }
   }
  }
//Quick Links Add 4.2.0 END 


Mind you that needs to be run for each new link which itself will likely be some kind of loop.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

But if it's not a static link?

That is a problem

I do not know the exact ideas behind Navigation Manager , but I think it simply wasn't designed with dynamic links in mind as vBulletin itself (except vBulletin CMS) does not do that.

As I see it, there are currently three alternatives (of which none is realldy ideal):

• Programatically create/update/delete links in navigation manager based on the Add-on data
  Pro: Full control over the links
  Con: Rather complicated management for the Add-on, might requires extensive changes to the logic
• Don't create any links and leave it up to the user
• Pro: Full control, no additional work the for Add-on author
  Con: A lot of work for the Administrator
• Create links at runtime
  Pro: Fairly easy to do
  Con: Zero control over placement in Navigation Manager, code can be a little bit inefficient

IMHO the best solution would be if the Navigation Manager would offer "Dynamic Content" items which would just act as placeholders in ACP and are only being filled with content on the frontend when needed.
This would be easy to implement and maintain for Add-ons and would still give the Administrator the power to control placement, etc.

http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBIV-15123