What is it? It's a total makeover for UBB Threads. In the past this has been a template only mod, but this time I had to add some script changes to Threads so it's now a full blown hack. Instructions are included in the zip file, and you can see a demo here. Test Forum 1 is open for guest posting if you want to check out the new posting templates -I used the same layout for the reply, edit, and the private message templates. Keep in mind that my dev site may change a little as I add tweaks that are site specific to www.dalantech.com -but what you see on the dev site will be pretty close to what this hack can do.
With Facelift you get the Pop Up Graemlin Panel and an extended quick reply box. Special thanks to Just Dave, Josh Pet, Astaran, Scroungr, and everyone else who had a hand in developing the Graemlin panel since it was first introduced.
Sorry it took so long after the release of 6.5 to get this hack out to you: It is a pretty extensive hack and with a day job, a wife and three kids, plus my own site to run I sometimes have to borrow free time
If you need professional assistance installing this hack contact Josh Pet or one of the other people listed in the developers for hire section of this site. I'm gonna use what little time I have to script more hacks
Hope you like it
Note: My templates look their best if you are using a resolution of 1024x768 or higher and your users do not select an insanely huge text entry box in their preferences. If you run into problems because users are setting too many columns or rows then let me know and I'll script a set of post entry pages that use a fixed size like the quick reply template.
Edit 15 Oct 04: Added article templates that match the look of Facelift. If you install the article template hack and Facelift then use the article templates included with Facelift.
Edit 16 Oct 04: Changed a custom class the I use on my site, navbar, with tdheader in myhome.tmpl.
Edit 16 Oct 04 #2:Fixed a form error in sendmessage.tmpl and mess_reply.tmpl
Edit: 19 Oct 04: quickreply.tmpl format change to make it match the layout of the posting pages, and to make it scale to higher resolutions than 1024x768 without the Graemlins ending up on the far side of your monitor
Edit 02 November 04: Inspired by Allen Ayres I created UBB Code buttons for the posting templates and updated the facelift_ubbcode.tmpl file to use them. I eliminated the "underline" UBB code because one of them had to go (odd numbers of buttons don't look good) and the users on my site rarely ever use the underline code.
Edit 04 November 04: Added a "More Graemlins" button that matches the style of the instant UBB code buttons. Updated the instructions for editing the ubbt.inc.php file so that it uses the new button.
Edit 05 November 04: Due to my "leet" java script skills the question mark in the color selector bar was broken -no errors, it just wouldn't work. Mad props to Ian Spence for finding my mistake! I've updated the facelift_fontcolor.tmpl file, and I've modified the instructions for editing the ubbt.inc.php file. Instead of requiring the instant_markup.php language file three times, for the three different functions, I changede the facelift functions to only require the instant_markup.php file once. If the instant_markup.php has already been called by the script that uses the function then the function shouldn't cause the language file to be reread... New zip file attached.
you use the class "navbar" in myhome.tmpl It seems that not a default class. I replaced it with navigation for testing. Any instructions for the navbar class ?
Good catch! I used navbar because I wanted to add a background grafic. Please replace navbar with tdheader. I'll update the zip file as soon as I finish this post.
I have lots of hacks in my UBB so I add some facelifts step by step. First the easy ones, then showflat, showthread and postlist. Now I do no modifications to the scripts, just to the stylesheet. I wait for UBB6.5.1 and then I finish this.
At this point, without the new input mask, it looks good. I have to find out how to hack in my photo insert hack (for PhotoPost) in the new posting template. If I found out or if I need help I will be back.
Attached to this post is the template that I created with text explanations of "what goes where" for the post input pages (editpost.tmpl, mess_handler.tmpl, mess_reply.tmpl, newpost.tmpl, newreply.tmpl, sendmessage.tmpl, and sendprivate.tmpl). The template is just the text input area with the graemlins, ubbcode, font colors, etc -it's not a complete template. But it should give you a baseline for setting up additional post input pages.
I see a different layout in Opera and IE/Firefox. In Opera 7 the closing border is double high as in IE/Firefox. With a little help from Krow we use this in the stylesheet:
/* Rule for all Browsers */ .tdheaderb { background: #224988; height: 10px; }
/* Windows IE ignores the following */ html>body .tdheaderb { height: 5px; }
this works for me and display in all browser the same border.
I hate writing non-standard CSS to fix display problems with browsers that do not render standard scripting correctly -you can use that fix but I won't. Let it be broke and force the folks that script Opera to correct their browser...
Off course you can do whatever you like on your site. Everyone is free not to look at it, but I like to see the visitors of my sites as clients. And I want to present them a site as good as possible. They don't care much if their browser implements the standards correctly. If my site doesn't display correctly, they may just consider going to some other site that does. Well, and I can't even blame them, since I do the same.
I never said my site was perfect, and I'll correct quite a few of those errors. However there is a big difference between a mistake and deliberately scripting incorrectly to solve "low end" browser issues. How does your scripting hold up to the same validation that you put mine through?...
I like the new showflat layout but my user complain about the separation of the postings. So what to do? I start a try to merge the old UBBt layout with this facelift.
I use the modification for the navbars and extra information. I include a back to top button (image is included in zip and must be copy to the ubb image directory). This is a compromise and accepted by my users. Maybe someone like it.
The scripting is not wrong in the way that does not validate. It is crystal clear css by the book. Validates perfectly.
As I stated earlier, I just got started with ubbthreads so there are no great sites, I can present. However I am working on a blogging frontend over at Zarzals dragon-clan which (at the moment) validates. http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3...utomatically%29
I also worked on the plone cms http://plone.org which should validate perfectly. (Although this ain't my work, but there is a lot to learn from their css-gurus)
The problem I see with ubbthreads is that it is really hard work to get it to render clean code. The templates are chosen in a way that validation is only possible when they are run and filled with data. Then, seeing the error in the resulting code you have to find the corresponding template, fix it and get on to the next error.
Well, this is stuff I do in my free time, but having seen how things could be makes it kind of frustrating to hack stuff on ubb which clearly has it strengths in other areas.
[]krow said: The scripting is not wrong in the way that does not validate. It is crystal clear css by the book. Validates perfectly. [/]
I'm about to let this discussion drop, since this thread is about Facelift. If you want to continue after this point then please start a new thread in the Design matters forum.
Now this: html> is not standard CSS scripting my friend...
Threads has never validated well, and I see that you have compaired my site, which is fully integrated into Threads, to a couple of sites that you have had the luxury of scripting from the ground up -nice, like comparing apples and oranges...
[] The problem I see with ubbthreads is that it is really hard work to get it to render clean code. The templates are chosen in a way that validation is only possible when they are run and filled with data. Then, seeing the error in the resulting code you have to find the corresponding template, fix it and get on to the next error. [/]
That's the only thing you've said that I agree with...
I fixed an error in the facelift_fontcolor.tmpl file that broke the java script for using the question marl to chose a color. Mad props to Ian Spence for finding the error!!
I also modified the instructions for editing the ubbt.inc.php script for the Facelift custom functions to clean up my php scripting. The zip file attached to the first post has been updated.
It looks like you modified the ubb_unregistered.tmpl file so that you have only two table rows instead of the three that I scripted -and with those changes you would have to change the class of the first table cell to menubar and you'd have to make the last table cell span two columns...
I walked the scripts that I have for those two files and they both work fine without any changes. The concept is to have the user name, logout / login text, and PM notice on the top table cell / row with tdheader as the class. The middle table cell / row contains the forum menu with the menu bar class, and the last table cell / row contains the tdheaderb class and it's the same color as tdheader. Three rows, one cell per row.
To get the full effect of the design try making the background color of tdheaderb the same as tdheader. Or better yet: make a gradient for both using the same color...
I am a bit confused on the last little item in your instructions.
[]Upload the graemlinpanel.php and all modified scripts to your threads directory. [/]
The confusion is this.
What graemlinpanel.php?
Maybe it's just me and I am not realizing what you mean.
But there is no graemlinpanel.php file in the zip.
This is why I am confused.
Any help would be appreciated.
Btw, I love this thing.
It makes the forums look great!
Keep up the awsome work you are doing for the community.
Thanks, ChefAce
P.S. It works like a dream and looks great. The only problem I have so far is what I described above. Also the Show More Graemlins pop-up isn't working.
(it could be because I do this stuff in the weeee hours of the morning..lol)
[] Warning: main(includes/hack.inc.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/sboserve/public_html/test/forum/graemlinpanel.php on line 21
Fatal error: main(): Failed opening required 'includes/hack.inc.php' (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/sboserve/public_html/test/forum/graemlinpanel.php on line 21 [/]
I did all steps through, but when I call the board I get parse error:
Code
Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_ENCAPSED_AND_WHITESPACE, expecting T_STRING or T_VARIABLE or T_NUM_STRING in /home/ac2/public_html/exclusive/ubbt.inc.php on line 1530
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