vbSpace USERCP MODIFICATION Discussion

[PennylessZ28]

For the last month I have been playing around with templates when it comes to the USERCP and I think I have reached the limit.

While I can re-arange some things I can't fully control the display output of the page itself.

Normally the User Control Panel has a vertical left hand navigation menu and then the options display to the right of that menu.

Your options are usually like this:

Settings & Options

Edit Signature
Edit Email, Password & Username
Edit My Profile
Account Settings
Edit Avatar
Edit Profile Picture

Private Messages

Folders
Inbox
Sent Items
List Messages
Send New Message
Track Messages
Edit Folders

Subscribed Threads

Folders
Subscriptions
Subscriptions
Edit Folders

Miscellaneous

Event Reminders
Buddy / Ignore Lists
Attachments

Truth be told, like the defualt profile, this is fine and dandy for the basic forum, but for someone new to forum's and to forums aimed at social networking, this layout SUCKS AND IS LAME AND BLUKY.

So I want a user to get a page more like this when they click USERCP

Personal Info | Basic Info | Background | Interests & Personality | Upload Profile Pictures | Edit/Add Avatar | Email & Password | Edit Signature

Now, I know what your thinking, why not just make the navigation menu across the top in the template.

Simple, doesn't work. You can do that, but you're missing the objective.

For the myspace style feeling we are going to want to divide up the key thing here "EDIT MY PROFILE" if you go here and click edit profile you get a page with

Edit Password & Email
Date Of Birth

then you get Optional Information

then you get your Additional Information

which arranges all your added profile fields into a big cluster ++++ only to be displayed by the DISPLAY number chosen in the Admincp.

Yeah your users love navigating that, besides the fact it looks like crap.

So there has to be a better way. There is, modification of the profile.php file.

Heres the objective, to display profile editing fields on the page of your choice.

Remeber my list above? Heres what I want to do. USERCP > BASIC INFOMATION

result profile.php?do=basicinfo (example)

Then it would show the selected profile fields I want the user to edit on the page

USERCP > INTERESTS

result profile?do=interests

simlair result to above with again intrest fields being displayed.

Ok here's another thought, lets take those basic form fields, and since we are phrasing BBCODE in the member profile, we add the WYSIG (whatever its called) editor to the entry field.

This would make editing the profile easier, quicker and help users find that field faster. IMO.

What about PRIVATE MESSAGES YOU SAY? Create a new link and page.

Whens the last time you logged into myspace or yahoo and clicked account settings to find your mail? Why should my private messages be in the usercp?

Good idea, just not right for what we are doing. They don't need to be there.

Put if on a different page, put a link somewhere. Its easy, if it works on myspace then it will work on your page. Just cuase its not in the usercp doesn't mean people won't be able to figure it out.

So anyone wanna volunteer to help?

[tendo]

^^I have been searching for this too. Would be really awesome, if it didn't try to mimic myspace too much. Most people already have that and don't want too many fields to enter. A couple pictures and maybe an mp3 player would be awesome. If someone can send the text from vB to an xml file for song titles and such I can make the flash :S Anyways, if there's like an open project to band together and code something like this I have some experience.

[PennylessZ28]

Why the hell was this moved to requests? this is not a request, it was discussion, its a side project of vbspace, WTF on the moderator who did this.

[Bluestrike2]

HR3 - I have to hand it to you - you rock.

While I'm not exactly a coder by far, I'd be happy to assist in other ways (I don't know what) . Also, if you DO manage to accomplish this, I'll donate to your team. As will others.

Thanks for all of your hard work! It is truly appreciated.

[Vizionz]

cause the way your discussing it it seams like your asking for help so by asking for help it truelly is a modification request sincce your requesting other members to help achi9eve the goal above so it is in the right place all around.

if you were finished with the project and just wanted feedback i am sure it would of been left alone. but since your not and more asking if anyone can help the project this is where they found it best fit on the forum i guess

[PennylessZ28]

Welp I finished it, I just thought I'd announce that its completed now. Still have some edges to polish. But its up and running on my site. I am happy so far.

I had to really hack the profile.php file though in some areas. Luckily thier were hooks, so I think I can turn this into a product.

[Hanif]

Originally Posted by HR3rdGen

this is fine and dandy for the basic forum, but for someone new to forum's and to forums aimed at social networking, this layout SUCKS AND IS LAME AND BLUKY.

Spot on...many of my users would appreciate and easier way to carry this out. Sounds like a good plan, sorry that I cant help with the coding but maybe help you in other ways? Willing to donate.

Ideally dude I've said this to the folks at Vb that the USER CP panel has been coded by hard core techies and little thought has been given to the social side. Or ease of use. Dont get me wrong I love vb but I think your idea is solid and the folks at vB should take it on.

Let me know your thoughts.

Hanif

[argash]

Originally Posted by HR3rdGen

Welp I finished it, I just thought I'd announce that its completed now. Still have some edges to polish. But its up and running on my site. I am happy so far.

I had to really hack the profile.php file though in some areas. Luckily thier were hooks, so I think I can turn this into a product.

WOW man I just checked it out looks great now I'm gonna put your skills to the test! can you make that AJAX? so you can change pages without reloading the page?

[PennylessZ28]

I'll post up some screenies shortly. The one thing I had to do was undo all the do=editprofilepic do=editavatar

so I could call it all at once and then use a simple tab system to navigate simliar to the same format you might see on Myspace for example.

This also required me chaning the way custom fields were called becuase normally they are simply display as $customfields in the template.

Can't have that junk.

[SuperFly]

Dang i was hoping to be the first. Me and a few members were working on it
Ah well.