Suggestion for 2.5: Toggle between forum and Gallery

[marcovb]

I would like the breadcrumb in my navbar to begin with a link to my URL of my forum. This way i can create a toggle effect, switching from the Forum to the Gallery and vice versa.
Right now, there is only the option for the breadcrumb in my navbar to begin with a link back to my homepage.

The way i do it now, is by cheating and changing the value of my URL home page to the value of my forum URL

Is this feasable? Could this be done in 2.5? Any opinions?

Thanks

[Chuck S]

well the vbulletin breadcrumb is just that the forum breadcrumb,

You can change the home url if you wish to make it perform like that if that is what you desire.

My suggestion would be to have forum and gallery links on your vbulletin navbar template.

[marcovb]

...just my two cents but, why not just let the user decide what option they desire in a drop down selection box? They can select the Forum URL or the Home URL. I mean, you're already letting the user turn on/off the HOME URL.

thanks Chuck
marco

[Chuck S]

Actually we already have the ability to have a gallery link in the navbar or not. Thats a switch in the addon options. Turn it on and you have a gallery link.

You placing a forum link in your navbar would be up to you as thats more or a personal issue with your forum operation.

[marcovb]

i don't agree. it's not a personal issue, it's more about logic.

When i set this option to yes:
"Set this option to 'Yes' if you would like the breadcrumbs in your navbar to begin with a link back to your homepage. Otherwise it will begin with a link back to your gallery as the first breadcrumb."

and i click on it, it gets my out of my forum (including the gallery)! Try it and you'll see how iritating this is.

It's more logical to take you out of the Gallery and back to the initial forum and vice versa. I understand that i can have a forum and gallery link on my vBulletin navbar template. But, since the option is already given to the user, why not enable a link to the Forum in the breadcrumb?

It's about making a small improvement to the breadcrumb not the navbar.

I feel like i'm the only one here talking about how can this product be improved and that nothing is getting through.

Anyways.... I'll just wait for the final version 2.5 to come out and decide what to do.

Thanks again for all the great support and keep up the good work!
marco

[Chuck S]

Marco

I am merely pointing out what all product addon's do for vbulletin we place our own links in the vbulletin navbar. Thats what any of us do.

I think personally whether or not vbulletin software places a link back to there forum in there very own product or not I mean adding a switch is more of a vbulletin software suggestion for them. Why dont they offer this? Now do you understand where I am coming from here? They kinda do already have a link back to the forum although its not clear on that. Its the little folder looking icon in there navbar.

[Luciano]

Well i agree that it is a vbulletin problem, AND i think it is NOT irritating Because I have a homepage..!!!! thats where it links to..
if you do NOT have a homepage.. and you want it to link back to forums, you can set in vbulletin (not gallery) setting your homeurl to the same as your forums url.. thats where it links to..!!!
As you did it.. thats the correct way...
Goto ACP ->Vbulletin settings -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details -> Homepage URL

The problem is if you have another check for another option.. it will be called every time you load a gallery page... So I would make it permanent if thats the way you want it..
that call can be easely made by adding 2 lines in gallery_global.php right after the START MAIN SCRIPT:

Content visible to verified customers only.

I personally think.. adding an extra conditional effects performance..
(not that this would.. only adding up all the if then else does)
(thats why i removed the switch in my install and only use one config)

--------------------------

But as we are in suggestion thread... I would suggest following to be default (it can though be done easely editing templates - but i would suggest it to be default):

• 1. When you click on main logo --> send back to site homepage and not to gallery home (and not to forums like vbulletin forums do..)
  
  
• 2. In gallery navbar change the word "Home" to "Gallery Home" as it is confusing for new users. They think they go back to main homepage.
  
  
• 3. In breadcrumbs have default: Homepage -> Gallery (definetely not Forums-> Gallery) so admin doesnt have to set it each time he reinstalls..
  
  
• 4. Replace the "Gallery" Link in header Vbulletin Navbar from "Gallery" to "Forums" WHEN you are in Gallery. When you are in Forums or somewhere else it should be as it is now : "Gallery". Easy to implement with a simple template conditional.

But it is a question of philosophy.. some consider forums as the core, and gallery as an addon..
But if you have an image site.. you would consider gallery as the core, and forums as an addon...
Or (like me) you want a community site.. in that case you have profiles and memberlist as core, and 2 or 3 addons.. I have gallery, blogs, and forums.. whereas blogs are more important than forums.. Users only use forums if they have problems uploading pictures. Most of them are happy if they do NOT even have to go there, as forums means trouble *lol*.. (I removed ALL links to the forums from gallery pages except on the upload page .. there it is under: "Help me - I have trouble uploading")

But that is a question of approach.. and depends on the type of site you want..

------------------------------

I for myself have modified the breadcrumbs..
(I will NOT post the hack, as it is configuration dependent and Hardcoded.. - Modified vbulletin global for this and Mastertemplates)
What it does to the breadcrumbs though is following:
if I am in forums:
Homepage -> Forums
-> threadpage
If i am in gallery:
Homepage -> Gallery -> category
-> Image
but if I am in gallery home, its
Homepage
-> Gallery
(the word gallery being on the second line and Not linked..)

If i am in blogs:
Homepage -> Blogs -> Myblog
If i am in profile:
Homepage -> username



Basically i got rid of the Forums..(like gallery does if you config it) but i also added homepage in ALL the breadcrumbs ... Gallery and Forums being on the second line and not linked if you are on the mainpages ...

Gallery was easy because it allready does a replacement.. I removed that though as the replacement are ALL done in vbulletin global now. And there is no point in having 2 series of replacements. Hardest was vbulletin blog.. because for some stupid reason it allways wants to place the forum before it.. (and i didnt want to modify blog files - one file to edit is enough on updates)..


Luc

[Chuck S]

Yep it comes down to a core philosophy vbulletin refuses to budge on. They refuse to consider anything but themselves. Like all of our software we prepend the gallery url on all our links etc. Does not matter what product it is. Photopost we use $Globals['maindir'] vbgallery we use the vbgallery gallery url variable. vbulletin has always and will not change using relative links in there code. They refuse to put there $vbulletin->options[bburl] variable on front of all there links.

Simple enough of a thing but look at there blog and links softwares. If you try clicking those links or really any of those links without doing replacements you get a not found error just because vb refuses to simple put that variable in the front of links. Same can be said about any custom styles in vb.

The vbulletin software is not really user friendly in a fashion because of this hard core philosophy they will not correct. I have commented on this for over 5 years and they simply do not listen.

[marcovb]

I'm glad this discussion is happening. I've read all of your answers and it does make sense.

Too bad vBulletin won't budge on this issue.

It is irritating in my case because I'm using Forum as the main usage. But i also understand that others won't use the Forums as the core... in that case the need to have another check for another option is not necessary. I'll continue using the method I'm using right now or maybe later i will make the small change in the template to check for the forum url instead of the home url.

I agree with Luciano, the main logo should always send back to the HOME page URL and not the forums.

Thanks again.

PS: Have you guys read the post about the menu in FORUMHOME beeing wrong? Certain things are missing like the label on some menus and some labels on the menu are not marked correctly...

this is the link of my vbulletin in development : Gallery

[Chuck S]

which menu are you referring to?

[Luciano]

Originally Posted by Chuck S

which menu are you referring to?

Its a good find.. i never seen it, because i dont use it..

@Chuck
If you enable images in forum home
AND you enable the navbar in that block
The dropdown "Whats new" and "Whats popular" are messed up..
The titles are wrong when you open them, and the stats phrase is missing.

Marco posted a screenshot here:
Menu item missing ?
Its the "whats popular" dropdown.. notice subtitle: my stuff and missing phrase: Gallery stats.

it does the same on my install..


Actually I've never seen it because i dont use the navbar on forum home...

I posted a fix.. here:
[Fix] Template adv_gallery_nav

please forward it to michael!!

Luc

[Chuck S]

Okay got ya