Some basics of vB3(mini howto)
also some basic php junk
the most important thing if you want to make pages based on templates or anything of the such would be to first know how to "
connect" to vbulletin, and then learn how to call and eval templates. so lets take a look at the most BASIC page we can do
PHP Code:
<?php // ## Changes Directory so it can accesss vBulletin IF we are outside the forums folder, if not this is not nessary ## chdir("./forums");
// ## Error Reporting ( we use error reporting in php so we can control the display of error messages // ## we will use this because all vBulletin files follow the same error reporting rules) ## error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);
// ## this action here cache's the templates so that everytime their needed a querry wont be needed to run // ## the names in there are just the template names :), there must be a comma after everyone but the last ## $globaltemplates = array( 'main' );
// ## Grabs global.php this grabs vbulletins global.php so we can use the most basic of vBulletins functions ## require_once("./global.php");
// ## this calls to print out one main template ## eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('main') . '");'); ?>
So theres a basic file, if your going to make one, that would i think be the mininum needed. now if you are going to be making
somthing abit more advanced. suchas calling more than one template, or doing an action it becomes abit more complicated
PHP Code:
<?php // ## Changes Directory so it can accesss vBulletin IF we are outside the forums folder, if not this is not nessary ## chdir("./forums");
// ## Error Reporting ( we use error reporting in php so we can control the display of error messages // ## we will use this because all vBulletin files follow the same error reporting rules) ## error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);
// ## this here defines the "this_script" function, which if you use template conditionals, it will come in handy :) ## define('THIS_SCRIPT', 'page');
// ## this action here cache's the templates so that everytime their needed a querry wont be needed to run // ## the names in there are just the template names :), there must be a comma after everyone but the last ## $globaltemplates = array( 'main', 'big', 'small' );
// ## Grabs global.php this grabs vbulletins global.php so we can use the most basic of vBulletins functions ## require_once("./global.php");
// ## ok this next set of lines "eval"'s our templates so they can be called inside the template we will print out ## eval('$big = "' . fetch_template('big') . '";'); eval('$small = "' . fetch_template('small') . '";');
// ## this calls to print out one main template ## eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('main') . '");'); ?>
PHP Code:
// ## if were going to use actions and their templates // ## arnt used anywhere else in the file but the actions we add this // ## under $globaltemplates = array(); // ## where small is would be the action name // ## and other is the template used ## $actiontemplates = array( 'small' => array( 'other' ) ); // ## this is a action, and it can be added before the final // ## eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('main') . '");'); // ## anything done before this request can be called inside the template // ## so lets say if you evalled the template big, as $bit, it can be called // ## here with other. ## if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'small') { eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('other') . '");'); }
one more note
if your going to write a script that is ALL actions you should add somthing like this right after the call to gobal.php
PHP Code:
if (empty($_REQUEST['do'])) { $_REQUEST['do'] == 'small'; }
this will ensure that if the usergoes to foo.php instead of foo.php?do=small they will still see the correct page
Mini Tut by Faranth
(with some help from Brad.loo fixing my silly newbie mistakes )
is for caching templates? How does this work? To me it appears as if you just declare a local array? The fetch_template function in functions.php does not reference any var named $globaltemplates. Could you possibly explain why you init this array in the page?
Faranth, my capitalized "help" was in no way ment to offend you in any way. It's just I was in such a despair...
Do I have a template called "main"... honestly, I don't know. Maybe. Is there any standard template, comming with the clean default vB3 RC2 install I could test instead?
And: I understood that you were saying that the $globaltemplates array is done to cache templates but I don't know how it does so. Is there a GLOBAL variable named $globaltemplates in the vB system? I mean, if I put this statement at the top of my script, all it does is create an array with a single string value but how does this "instruct" vb to cache a template?
If I slap your (longer) example into a blank .php page and use the shell_blank as my template (unchanged); I get an "object expected" error when the page tries to run this script:
01-08-2004, 10:00 PM
01-11-2004, 08:00 PM
