Topic: Different portals for different forum categories

[jelence]

Hello!
I was wondering, can I have a portal for choosen categories of boards?
For example, I have category colled: 'Flowers', and 5 or 6 boards in that category, and I would like to have portal for that category - is it possible?

[Shitbit]

Hi there ...

Why do you want to have different portals for different boards (Forums) ?

The Portal is like the Index...or lets say, Intro Page of your Website. from there your can post News of Different Boards, of course. How about creating different forums, flowers, animals, signs, (i.e.) and set a different theme for each forum and let your portal page as it is ?

You can choose which posts and Threads are displayed on portal page here : http://yoursite.com/index.php?action=admin;area=portalarticles;

(i.e. you can mark threads,posts for use as articel)


Hope to lead you in the right direction.

Regards -Shitbit-
____________________________________________
German Support Board Moderator

[AngelinaBelle]

I've seen that on other SMF forums, but SimplePortal doesn't integrate with the forums.
 
It might be a nice little SimplePortal mod, I think -- to click on a Category and go to a SimplePortal page for that category.
 
This would take a little bit of customization work. Pretty quick stuff for a skilled customizer. A slightly-more-difficult project for those of us who don't know the boardindex like the back of our hand.
 

[jelence]

@Shitbit

Why do you want to have different portals for different boards (Forums) ?

Because I have some boards with serious business themes which do not go with some other themes.
I would like to have several portals, so that I can put more intro-informations about specific areas from different forums.

How about creating different forums, flowers, animals, signs, (i.e.) and set a different theme for each forum and let your portal page as it is ?

That can solve part of problem, thank you  , but it is not enough ( unfortunately ).


@AngelinaBelle

It might be a nice little SimplePortal mod, I think -- to click on a Category and go to a SimplePortal page for that category.

I agree  .

This would take a little bit of customization work. Pretty quick stuff for a skilled customizer.

I am not skilled customizer  .

[AngelinaBelle]

Then the simplest soloution, I think, would be to create separate SimplePortal pages for each of the categories. These could be simple HTML pages, with the additional introductory information. Then, you could include links to each of the boards in the category.
 
Finally, you could link to these pages using left-side links, or else you could use one of the menu button mods to provide links from the main menu.
 

[jelence]

Yes, I thought about that solution, but I was also thinking that I can install couple of SMF forums on subdomains and then use only portals, and make redirection on corresponding boards in my main forum.
In that way i can have name of category theme in domain name ( for example:www.flowers.mysitename.com ) and I can put custom theme on each portal.

I only need php script to get, for example: Recent Posts/Topics or Board News - from chosen boards, to appear on subdomain portal instead of portal of my main domain. Can you perhaps give me code for that?
Thanks!

[AngelinaBelle]

I can see that you understand this solution would require some custom coding.
 
If you create sub-forums, you will be stuck with figuring out how to integrate user logins across all those sub-forums.
I think this would be your biggest challenge -- to create all those forums, but have them all work from only one member list.
 
Maybe there is a mod for that at SMF...

[jelence]

I suppose that I can go to part of SMF php scripts where buttons are, and change address of buttons, so, when member press 'Login' button on any subdomain forum he is going to be redirected on my main forum;
but not on sub-forum portal...yes, how to fix that...?
I hope that I will find some solution.
Thanks AngelinaBelle for pointing on that.

[AngelinaBelle]

I think multiple forums would be a nightmare. Too complicated. I would not even like to think about trying this on my forum.
 
For now, I am going to suggest creating one HTML or PHP page per category, putting a nice description in the page, and putting a BoardNews or RecentPosts block in the bottom blocks, showing only on the boards in that category.  This has worked well for me.
I keep a "link menu" in the upper left block. I don't even have to fiddle with the buttons.

[jelence]

I solved this  !  (as much as it can be solved)
There is a SMF mod: Pretty URLs - which can change url names of boards, so I can choose any board I want, rename it, link it to certain category and put it as Portal for that specific area of forum.