Topic: Blocks above header?

[SimianSteam]

Ok, I searched for about an hour, didn't see anything about this. Probably didn't use the correct terms, but I tried.

Is there any way to put a blocks either above, or replacing the forum header? It would be really nice to have the entire forum be modular, not just from the Nav bar down.

[andy]

The SPortal header block is below the navigation. Maybe it would be a good suggestion to add in the forum here - for a header type block that is really at the top.

Other than that you can try SMF mods. I'm sure there is a mod to modify the main template to add a block at the top of the page.

[AngelinaBelle]

SimianStream,


One option will be to add something to your index.template.php
1) create a block in the blocks editor and take note of its id
2) use the information in the fabulous blocks-in-blocks blog post to put some code to show your block.  http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=5332.msg32204#msg32204

This is definitely customization.  If you ask for help on the customization board, you will get it -- whenever volunteers are available to help.

Good Luck!

[SimianSteam]

The SPortal header block is below the navigation. Maybe it would be a good suggestion to add in the forum here - for a header type block that is really at the top.

Other than that you can try SMF mods. I'm sure there is a mod to modify the main template to add a block at the top of the page.

I just read a thread about Integration mode, but didn't see how to add your entire forum into a block. Can you link me to that info, plz?

[SimianSteam]

SimianStream,


One option will be to add something to your index.template.php
1) create a block in the blocks editor and take note of its id
2) use the information in the fabulous blocks-in-blocks blog post to put some code to show your block.  http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=5332.msg32204#msg32204

This is definitely customization.  If you ask for help on the customization board, you will get it -- whenever volunteers are available to help.

Good Luck!

I'll read that now. Thank you!

[AngelinaBelle]

I don't think I would try to put your "entire forum" into a block.

If you just really want to reorganize what your portal page or other pages of your forum look like, you might want to consider a custom theme -- and then customize it some more.

What will be easiest and best will depend on what you are trying to do.
What is it you want to put at the top of your forum, or in place of the forum header?

[SimianSteam]

I don't think I would try to put your "entire forum" into a block.

If you just really want to reorganize what your portal page or other pages of your forum look like, you might want to consider a custom theme -- and then customize it some more.

What will be easiest and best will depend on what you are trying to do.
What is it you want to put at the top of your forum, or in place of the forum header?

Supporting vendors, Banner, etc. I was hoping to make my forum completely modular. Currently I've wiped almost the entire header, leaving only the nav bar. If suppose I could kill that too, and use the Navigation block... Is there an easy way to mod the Menu block to go horizontally with drop-downs?

[AngelinaBelle]

Not sure what you mean by "completely modular".
SMF themes work in "layers" -- containers within containers. 
Many things in CURVE are laid out in divs.
Simpleportal uses table elements to lay things out.

The menu in CURVE is now a horizontal list with vertical drop-downs.

Are you looking to create a vertical list with fly-outs?

Are you looking for a responsive or mobile-ready design?

[SimianSteam]

Not sure what you mean by "completely modular".
SMF themes work in "layers" -- containers within containers. 
Many things in CURVE are laid out in divs.
Simpleportal uses table elements to lay things out.

The menu in CURVE is now a horizontal list with vertical drop-downs.

Are you looking to create a vertical list with fly-outs?

Are you looking for a responsive or mobile-ready design?

First, LOVE your avatar.

I posted about this in the thread about the Info Center, but I'll go ahead and repeat it here:

Rather than try to tweak all the components of a theme with this setup I could move stuff where ever I wanted with a few button clicks. Want the Info Center in the sidebar instead of the footer? 30 seconds. Want to have a different banner shown in various subforums? 30 seconds.

You see what I'm getting at?

I love the idea of moving stuff around, activating and deactivating features, and never having to go into the Style Sheet. I'm kinda surprised no one thought to do this before.

[AngelinaBelle]

I get it now.  So what I suggested is not perfectly ideal for you.  Every time you want to make a change, you would have to edit all of your active themes.

What you really want is a theme that is a "simple portal block anywhere" design
That means creating some theme options for "block above header ID". "Block below header ID", "omit header", etc.

This is something I have never done.

[SimianSteam]

I get it now.  So what I suggested is not perfectly ideal for you.  Every time you want to make a change, you would have to edit all of your active themes.

What you really want is a theme that is a "simple portal block anywhere" design
That means creating some theme options for "block above header ID". "Block below header ID", "omit header", etc.

This is something I have never done.

Maybe I'm throwing out "Pie in the sky" ideas, or maybe it's something that could be considered for a later version of SimplePortal. I just think it would make forum design really easy. You'd only have to change colors and backgrounds, and could use SP to re-arrange everything else.

[AngelinaBelle]

I am sorry. I think I have put the emphasis all wrong here.

I agree.  That is a really fun and interesting idea for a future version of SimplePortal.
I imagine that it might require some very serious theme modification -- even a custom theme full of hooks for hooking things in (like "designate a block container here and call it cucumber") and unhooking the "default" things.

This is a very innovative way of thinking about things, and so would take a lot or re-thinking.

In the shorter timescale, I was trying to think of ways you could easily customize your favorite theme to put a block where you want it.

[SimianSteam]

I am sorry. I think I have put the emphasis all wrong here.

I agree.  That is a really fun and interesting idea for a future version of SimplePortal.
I imagine that it might require some very serious theme modification -- even a custom theme full of hooks for hooking things in (like "designate a block container here and call it cucumber") and unhooking the "default" things.

This is a very innovative way of thinking about things, and so would take a lot or re-thinking.

In the shorter timescale, I was trying to think of ways you could easily customize your favorite theme to put a block where you want it.

No worries. One of the major problems with the internet is that it's soooo easy to misinterpret words without context.

I'm glad you like the idea. It's one of those things that fits into the category of "Stuff I'd Like To Be Able To Do", but not in the category of "Stuff I Need To Do", if you know what I mean. Since I installed a Coppermine gallery the whole thing would get nightmarishly complex for a newb like me anyways. I'm sticking with a simple theme and SimplePortal for this first rev. Maybe in a few months I'll get off my butt and finish my coding classes and put some effort into making Above the Header blocks a reality.

Thank you for your help!

[AngelinaBelle]

That is a really cool idea.  You'll find, if you study how SMF is organized and how the themes work, that it is possible to radically redesign a theme like that.  For example, the Elkarte team created a responsive version of the default CURVE theme.

You'll also see that SMF uses hooks in the code to make it possible to optionally add functionality at those locations.

So it should certainly be possible to add hooks to allow you to choose where to put stuff.


You can also look on this site for a JavaScript -based mod [SiNaN] created some time back that allows users to rearrange the blocks by dragging them around.

And you will be able to see that all the code for SimplePortal is available at GitHub. So you can learn a lot by looking through the code.  And, some day, when you have learned quite a bit, you could even be the person who creates the feature you want.  Something to look forward to!  Enjoy your coding class,and enjoying developing the power to make things happen.