Forum Home Enhancements - Left side column on forum home and forum display

Left side column on forum home and forum display

As the title says this mod simply puts a column on forumhome and forumdisplay pages.

Installation:
Download the attached XML file.
Import the product.
Edit navbar and footer templates. (See below)


Find in navbar template:

<div class="body_wrapper">

Add below:

{vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_start}

Add the code below to the first line of footer template:

{vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}

Footer template after adding the code:

{vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}

<vb:if condition="!empty($ad_location['ad_footer_start']) or !empty($ad_location['global_above_footer'])">
<div style="clear: {vb:stylevar left}">
  {vb:raw ad_location.ad_footer_start}
  {vb:raw ad_location.global_above_footer}
</div>
</vb:if>

......

Once you have installed the modification edit "SevenSkins - Templates > ss_leftcolumn_contents to put your advert or contents in the side column.


Finally don't forget to click install.


Thanks to Lynne for additional css plugin code which I used in this modification.


PS. Do not use my side column mods together use only one.

================================================== ==

If you want to enable or disable this hack on different pages of the forum .. 
Edit the ss_leftcolumn_start and ss_leftcolumn_end templates:
 
Find:
<vb:if condition="THIS_SCRIPT == 'index' OR THIS_SCRIPT == 'forumdisplay'">
 
 
Edit it to ... for home page:
<vb:if condition="THIS_SCRIPT == 'index'">
 
Edit it to ... for homepage, forumdisplay and showthread:
<vb:if condition="THIS_SCRIPT == 'index' OR THIS_SCRIPT == 'forumdisplay' OR THIS_SCRIPT == 'showthread'">

================================================== ==


Updates:
15 Jan 10: Updated
- Save the code from "ss_leftcolumn_contents" template. (Code for ads, etc)
- Revert template belonging to this product.
- Then import the product over writting the existing installation.
- Put your ad code in the "ss_leftcolumn_contents" template.


15 Jan 10: Updated for vBulletin 4.0.1
2 templates has been changed.
- Save the code from "ss_leftcolumn_contents" template. (Code for ads, etc)
- Revert template belonging to this product.
- Then import the product over writting the existing installation.
- Put your ad code in the "ss_leftcolumn_contents" template.


22 Dec 09: Working with vBulletin 4.0.0 (Gold)


.

[Johan Hiemstra]

Thanks for the mod.

I need to display different contents in the side column, based on the forumid, but it seems the forumid is not known in ss_leftcolumn_contents. Is there a way I can parse/retrieve the forumid so I can add conditionals in the contents template?

EDIT: nvm, registered foruminfo[forumid] in contents template with a custom plugin at hook forum_display_start

[SugarChick]

As far as CappingThe Game and others that had issues with 4.1.x and it showing up at the bottom footer...

I got it to work by going into the footer template and instead of doing this:

{vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}
{vb:raw ad_location.ad_footer_start}
{vb:raw ad_location.global_above_footer}
</div>

Find in footer template (top of footer template):
HTML Code:

{vb:raw ad_location.ad_footer_start}

Add above:
HTML Code:

{vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}

I did this...

Find in footer template (top of footer template):
HTML Code:

  {vb:raw ad_location.ad_footer_start}
  {vb:raw ad_location.global_above_footer}
</div>

Add AFTER IT

  {vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}

AKA moved the SS code BELOW the DIV instead of above the ad code as per the instructions.

This made it then show up just fine.

So that sectin of code looks like this:

<vb:if condition="!empty($ad_location['ad_footer_start']) or !empty($ad_location['global_above_footer'])">
<div style="clear: {vb:stylevar left}">
  {vb:raw ad_location.ad_footer_start}
  {vb:raw ad_location.global_above_footer}
</div>
  {vb:raw ss_leftcolumn_end}

[Taurus1]

I am getting these database errors. Can you please help me. Thanks.

Database error in vBulletin :  mysql_connect() [<a href='function.mysql-connect'>function.mysql-connect</a>]: Too many connections /home/thebull/public_html/forums/includes/class_core.php on line 317  MySQL Error   :  Error Number  :  Request Date  : Saturday, April 28th 2012 @ 11:08:15 PM Error Date    : Saturday, April 28th 2012 @ 11:08:15 PM Script        : http://creativx.net/forums/css.php?s...column_css.css Referrer      : http://creativx.net/windows-7-themes-light-thebull/ IP Address    : 201.47.220.169 Username      :  Classname     : vB_Database MySQL Version :

[Taurus1]

I also have an issue that on certain forum skins my adsense adds I have in this left column just don't show at all. On some skins it works, others not. Someone knows why this will be?

Thanks.

[Seven Skins]

For ads not showing see if the skins has all the hooks.

for DB error "Too many connections ..." this is webhost error and has nothing to do with this hack.

[Taurus1]

Originally Posted by Seven Skins

For ads not showing see if the skins has all the hooks.

for DB error "Too many connections ..." this is webhost error and has nothing to do with this hack.

Thank you. Can you please tell me what hooks to look for, and where?

[Taurus1]

I really don't get it. The hooks are in the Navbar and Footer templates for all skins, and the contents are in the templates, yet in some skins the adds just wont show.

[Seven Skins]

There are more then 130 hook in the templates (vBulletin 4.1.12) ... compare your custom templates with the default templates. Look for vb:raw template_hook when searching for hook location.

[OakleyBoss]

Can you please tell me how to change the color of the text of the title? I saw it refers to ss_column_head and I found that inside of the ss_leftcolumn_css.css but when I look at it, it says it refers to forumhead_color which in my case is white. For some reason it is showing up as dark blue and it is very hard to see. I'm not sure if its relevant but for my title I am using html to link to my register page.

[Seven Skins]

You can change this text:

color:{vb:stylevar forumhead_color};

To

color: #ffffff;

.