Major Additions - Innovative Template Manager

Innovative Template Manager

*Originally developed by Dream (View Modification) marked as Re-Usable code.

I love this modification and adjusting multiple styles that are not a "child-style" is made super easy using it!

This modification allows you to do the following:

• Import / Export standard and custom vBulletin templates, single, multiple.
• Copy multiple templates to multiple styles.
• Delete multiple templates from multiple styles.
• Save multiple templates in template history.
• View Template History including between version changes.

Some may never use this as others do, it depends on how often you customize your site imo and how many styles you have. For someone like me who designs styles it's actually quite a useful tool and I would assume for those who love adding in new styles for their members or mods for that matter that they customize afterwords would love it as well.

*Think of it this way, if you add a new mod in that creates templates and you modified the mods template for whatever reason - it's only modified in one style - now export that styles single modified template out using this system - now import it back into all styles... you just saved quite a bit of time, you did not manually edit the same template in all your styles and yet they are all updated!

I've made minimum changes to the code, a color change and some text changes mainly for rewording and making sense. I did PM Dream to notify him of this release, sadly he has not been on since September of 2010 so all I ask is this, if you like the mod please send him a PM and say thanks or post below thanking "Dream" not myself .

Install:

1. Upload the contents of the "upload" folder into your forum root.
2. Refresh the Admin Control Panel Page/Window in your browser (f5 on keyboard usually)
3. Look for "Template Manager" on the left.

- Enjoy!

*Please note - This modification is meant to make copying template edits between styles in the same version very easy and it has other useful features. Please do not assume that you can export all templates, do an upgrade and import again with 100% functionality as that is possible however highly improbable and would be the same as importing for example a 4.0.7 style into a 4.1.0 site... that will not work plain and simple! Now you can use it in conjunction with the built in comparison utility for templates and ultimately make correcting an old style easier and quicker than waiting on an update for your custom free or paid skin etc etc.

See post #35

Originally Posted by Taurus1

I used this mod for the first time today after installing a new skin. It took me about 3 minutes, instead of the 3 hours of template edits. I want to again thank you for a fantastic mod!!

[TheLastSuperman]

Reserved.

[OldSchoolDSL]

So in simple English this will allow you to save your modifications and then re-apply them on the next update?

(please say, yes... well say yes, if its true)

[Junoliv]

Tagged for future use.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by OldSchoolDSL

So in simple English this will allow you to save your modifications and then re-apply them on the next update?

(please say, yes... well say yes, if its true)

Yes and no...

It allows you to save entire styles yes but at the same time you can export and import single templates as well which is what I love about it .

... You could simply import and overwrite a problem template but OldSchoolDSL your missing the point of that entirely I'm afraid... if there's an issue with the style after your upgrade chances are you need to compare the template, when you view the template in question via the style manager if it had issues merging correctly it will state so at the top of the page - there's a comparison tool built in already so you can in essence correct it that way.

Otherwise you could simply import back in the single template giving issues and see if that sorts it however that won't work 100% of the time and I would suggest Exporting the template out before importing in an older previous vB version template kwim?

[OldSchoolDSL]

I maybe missing the point....

I had hoped that this saved "custom edits"

More then often, when we update vBulletin... All our little "tweaks" need to be re-applied. I'd like to see a mod which would save those "tweaks" and then at a click of a button... Re-apply them.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by OldSchoolDSL

I maybe missing the point....

I had hoped that this saved "custom edits"

More then often, when we update vBulletin... All our little "tweaks" need to be re-applied. I'd like to see a mod which would save those "tweaks" and then at a click of a button... Re-apply them.

Well it does... thing is your thinking about it in a different way is all... it saves the entire template not one or two single edits or multiple for that matter as it can't distinguish. Even the built in comparison tool can only distinguish between old and new code so much. That would be truly ideal but based on how it all works atm it's not possible. I agree that would be simply lovely and make everyone jump and cheer but some things require manual editing on occasion and after an upgrade some templates could require updating it truly depends on your style and how much you have customized.

So I guess in short I could have said, no it's not what your thinking of lol but wanted to clarify some of the reasons per say .

Edit: Basically to sum it up, it's a template import/export system meaning instead of entire styles you can target single or multiple templates and do many useful things.

[OldSchoolDSL]

Assuming I'm a complete noob (not that I am, but it's just easier to explain thing to me like that).... What does this do, really (that vBulletin does not)?

[OldSchoolDSL]

Installed, but its not working

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_DNUMBER in /home/socially/public_html/forums/admincp/innovative_template_manager.php on line 45

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by OldSchoolDSL

Assuming I'm a complete noob (not that I am, but it's just easier to explain thing to me like that).... What does this do, really (that vBulletin does not)?

Per the description:

This modification allows you to do the following:

• Import / Export standard and custom vBulletin templates.
• Copy multiple templates to multiple styles.
• Delete multiple templates from multiple styles.
• Save multiple templates in template history.

So with this it's templates not just a complete style, it allows you to do more in terms of customizing styles not within a parent style. Something I feel you would need to install and test to help you understand it then you might go "ohh wow..." or not, it depends on how often you customize your style(s).