Add-On Releases - Mobile Device Style Assignment

This is my first released hack, be nice.

This hack will detect when a mobile device connects to your site and allow you to override the default style/skin with one you specify.

Just install the product-file and set which style is your mobile device style via the AdminCP. Has been tested with several 3.6.x versions up to 3.6.8

I am also releasing a skin I wrote (it is based on vbmechanics Alabama skin, so updated or modified would be a more accurate description) for my own needs - it could probably be tidied up a lot more, but it works for me - take it as it is, I may offer limited support for this skin if I get time (no promises), and feel free to offer suggestions. Mobi - My super light skin is probably the one to go for, it has much greater functionailty.

=Install Instructions=
Go to Plugin System, Manage Products in your AdminCP and click Add/Import Product link at the end of the page
Browse for the product-mobile_enabled36-x.x.x.xml product file and click 'import'
Refresh your admincp page and in VBulletin Options, select the settings for 'Mobile Device Detection'
Change the styleid of your mobile skin in "Mobile Device Style" to the StyleID number of your mobile device skin
Change the styleid of your PDA skin in "PDA Device Style" to the StyleID number of your PDA device skin
Your mobile/pda skin must be user selectable (although you can disbale the ability for users to change styles in vBulletin Options)
Thats it!

=Upgrade Instructions=
Go to Plugin System, Manage Products in your AdminCP and click Add/Import Product link at the end of the page
Browse for the product-mobile_enabled36-x.x.x.xml product file
Choose to overwrite
Click 'import'
Re-configure Styleid of mobile/pda skin if required

VERSION 1.0.7a
Based on initial release - supports assigning one alternative style to ALL detected mobile devices

VERSION 2.1.2
Now allows the addition of exceptions and also specifying a skin for Pocket PCs (Windows CE devices) and a skin for all otehr detected mobile devices.
I've also released a very light skin HERE which is great for cell/Mobile phones

LAST UPDATE 22-October 2007
VERSION 2.1.3 - removed, small bug
VERSION 2.1.3a

• Added ability to assign different styles to IPods/iPhones (In addiotn to Windows CE devices and other detected mobile devices
• Added ability to assign specific style to a user defined device (based on user agent string).
  
  You will need to know the useragent string, or a unique fragment of the user agent string to do this. One exmple of how this can be used would be to assign a specific style to say Firefox users, perhaps a different style for Blackberry users, or you could assign a specific style to search engines (beware when doing this - google apprently doesn't like people displying different content to search engines)
  

To upgrade, simply overwrite product - your existing settings should be preserved.

I've left the previous version available for download - to get the new version, download and install the attached XML

**BACKUP YOUR DB BEFORE INSTALLING**

Other Mobile / Lite Skins:

Mobile - My super light skin
iPhone / iPod Touch Optimised Style
Alabama
VBLite
WAP Plugin - this is a similar product and skin which I didn't find till after I'd made this one - it seems to be more directed at WAP devices as opposed to all Mobile Devices, and appears to no longer be supported, but worth having a look at.


Remember to click install and give a rating :up:

keywords: Mobile, PDA, Autodetect, Autoselect, WAP, Skin, portal, cell, phone, iphone

3.7 Version Here

[MotoUp]

Nope, still broke. I completely uninstalled, and deleted and reuploaded the xml file.

[dartho]

It shouldn't - all looks good on my test board - and it was a such minimal update that basic functionality shouldn't have chnaged at all.

I've changed the version number in the XML to be 1.0.4a so you can double check that it's the latest - perhaps some caching may have happened with the download?

[MotoUp]

Very strange. It is still happening, but it doesn't show 1.0.4a. Any idea how it may be caching? I completely deleted xml file, uninstalled, and reinstalled the plugin...I don't know what else to do...

[dartho]

BTW for anyone that is modifying a skin to work on their site, using firefox with the User Agent Switcher Extension works a treat. You will need to add a new Mobile UserAgent - once installed, Click Tools, User Agent Swtcher, Options, Options..., then click 'User Agents' on the Left and the Add button. Give it a description of "Mobile" and a User Agent "Mobile" - OK your way out and then you can switch between you default User Agent and a Mobile one and test out your mobile skin

Another tip is to enter the following URL javascript:resizeTo(340,420); which will resize your browser window to a similar size as a PDA - you need to add extra height and width for the toolbars and frames etc that are in Firefox - but it gives you a good idea of how things will look on a mobile device

[dartho]

Try with the attached XML

[MotoUp]

Well, That worked, so I redownloaded, and tried from another machine, and it shows 1.0.4a now, and it worked. Thanks for your time and help. I really appreciate it. I love this product! Thanks for your hard work on it.

[dartho]

No worries MotoUp - glad to help. One of these days I'll make the mobile skin I use 3.6 compatible and remove all my hard coded links etc and release it with this too... one day...

[AMG021]

Hey Dartho. So in order for me to get access to my forums from my phone I will just need to install this ? Or i have to install you hack and someone else's hack in order for this hack to function right. I'm lost, help me out please

Thanks In Advance

[MotoUp]

This forces a mobile device to a certain style installed on your forum. So if you have a mobile style installed on your boards, when someone logs into your forum from a mobile device, they automatically get the mobile style....

[dartho]

Yep - like MotoUp says - check the 2 links in the description above for 2 mobile device skins you can use. You need to install a Skin, and then this hack to get functionality