Including recent photos on CMPS_INDEX

shadowdancer36 · November 28th, 2005, 08:07 PM

Hello folks, wanting to know something about the featured photo includes.
Using Vbad I created a mod pointing to a php file I called featured.php. Inside the file I put:

Code:

Content visible to verified customers only.

Once saved it brought the featured photos up, but its not in a block. Its at the very top of the screen as u can see in the attachments. Did I mod everything correctly? Should I have done it another way?

Chuck S · November 29th, 2005, 09:47 AM

Looks to me like its fine. You just need to echo it where you want it displayed. In vbadvanced just like vbportal you can elect where to display a php block you create.

KW802 · November 29th, 2005, 10:47 AM

The echo shouldn't be in the PHP module. Try creating a new HTML template and make the contents of the following....

Code:

Content visible to verified customers only.

Use the generic shell when creating the module.

Chuck S · November 29th, 2005, 11:48 AM

So you can't create PHP blocks to display like VbPortal?

Seems to me I remember doing exactly what I posted on a friends vbadvanced CMS sites just fine

KW802 · November 29th, 2005, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck S

So you can't create PHP blocks to display like VbPortal?

Seems to me I remember doing exactly what I posted on a friends vbadvanced CMS sites just fine

You can create PHP blocks fine but the output should be done via variables in a template. For example, to create a PHP module that says nothing more then hello world then steps to take would be....

1. Create a new vB template named "adv_portal_mymodule" with the following content...

Code:

Content visible to verified customers only.

2. Create a new PHP module with the following content...

Code:

Content visible to verified customers only.

3. Add the new module to your CMPS page.

If you try to display the output directly from the PHP module then the output will be displayed at the top of the page before the CMPS page loads (as shown in ShadowDancer's screen shot).

Chuck S · November 29th, 2005, 01:05 PM

I knew there was a reason VBPortal is better and I bought it versus the other product

KW802 · November 29th, 2005, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck S

I knew there was a reason VBPortal is better and I bought it versus the other product

I'm surprised that vBP would allow an 'echo' command directly from the PHP code.

Having the display layer seperated from the logic level is cleaner.

Chuck S · November 29th, 2005, 01:18 PM

Having a template is optional.

The blocks are surrounded by div tags and the echoed html is placed properly where you want it placed

KW802 · November 29th, 2005, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck S

Having a template is optional.

The blocks are surrounded by div tags and the echoed html is placed properly where you want it placed

Ah, that's how they're doing it.

But I still say having the presentation layer seperate from the logic layer is cleaner. The 'day job' deals with 2-tier and 3-tier applications all day long.

shadowdancer36 · November 29th, 2005, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KW802

The echo shouldn't be in the PHP module. Try creating a new HTML template and make the contents of the following....

Code:

Content visible to verified customers only.

Use the generic shell when creating the module.

Just to make sure, could you walk thru the entire process? Right now I'm confused about which way to go about creating the template. Am I doing under Vbull? Or under Vbad? OR am I doing both? If so, who codes go in which? Are you saying the code Chuck gave me doesn't apply here?

I just want to be clear so I don't have to keep buggin you all.

shadowdancer36 · November 29th, 2005, 11:13 PM

bump***how the heck my message switch up like that?

motors · November 30th, 2005, 05:29 AM

I have mine set up as what shadowdancer36 originally had and it works. I think you can make the block go where it's supposed to go by clicking on "Clean Up PHP" when you set up the vB Advanced module..

KW802 · November 30th, 2005, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motors

I have mine set up as what shadowdancer36 originally had and it works. I think you can make the block go where it's supposed to go by clicking on "Clean Up PHP" when you set up the vB Advanced module..

The 'clean up' method is a way of trying to over-ride the PHP settings. Based upon how the PHP module is written it may or may not work. The template method is the 'cleaner' method of the two but for some simple PHP modules the 'clean up' method will work as well.

shadowdancer36 · November 30th, 2005, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motors

I have mine set up as what shadowdancer36 originally had and it works. I think you can make the block go where it's supposed to go by clicking on "Clean Up PHP" when you set up the vB Advanced module..

Thanks dude! That did the trick!

Now how can I make it verticle instead of horizontal?

shadowdancer36 · November 30th, 2005, 09:58 AM

Let me ask that a different way....I know in the inc_features.php I can make it one row, BUT that will change how it's displayed in the forums as well.
Anyway to have it show up differently just on the index page?

Also I notice it's showing up as a block within a block. How come?

Chuck S · November 30th, 2005, 10:07 AM

If your using the inc_features.php just set the columns in that file to 1

shadowdancer36 · November 30th, 2005, 10:26 AM

Yea that I know, but it will change globally. Anyways to stop that? Also it's showing up as a block within a block. Anyway to not have that happen?

Chuck S · November 30th, 2005, 10:58 AM

I am not following what your wanting here as far as columns. Yes it is a global setting

showing up as a block within a block is probally because of your using a template system to load this when the html it needs is already in the file itself.

KW802 · November 30th, 2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowdancer36

Also I notice it's showing up as a block within a block. How come?

... in the module settings turn off the 'use generic shell' option. If that option is turned on it will present the module contents inside of the generic wrapper template.

shadowdancer36 · November 30th, 2005, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck S

I am not following what your wanting here as far as columns. Yes it is a global setting

showing up as a block within a block is probally because of your using a template system to load this when the html it needs is already in the file itself.

Lets see how much more specific I can get...

I want 1 col, 3 rows (3 pics) for the random pics block on the CMPS_INDEX. ONLY on the CMPS_INDEX!

I see that the INC_FEATURES.PHP is a globat setup file. I want to know if it's possible to only show the 1 col, 3 rows (3 pics) on the cmps_index but keep the 1 col 1 row (3 pictures) in the forum area.

Everyone get what I'm saying now? As for the above confusion, I placed a snap shot of the process since I was never given a step by step. Us newbies gotta stick together

The file size limit cause me to send a smaller almost unreadable version. If you want to see a larger one, go here