SimplePortal
SimplePortal => News and Announcements => Topic started by: [SiNaN] on March 27, 2009, 08:56:21 AM
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The SimplePortal Team has been hard at work for the last several months to develop the next version of SimplePortal! We've heard the feedback that many of you have submitted, and included many requested features in our upcoming version.
Our Beta Testers have received testing versions of this release, and while our Dev Team and Beta Testers are working on smoothing out bugs to prepare 2.2 for release, we'd like to share with you some of the new features you'll find in SP 2.2 that some you've undoubtedly noticed here already at SimplePortal.net!
So without further ado, here's some of the features you will find in SimplePortal 2.2:
General
- Two new modes for portal:
- Now you can disable the portal page and integrate blocks directly in the forum with "Integration" mode.
- You can activate "Standalone" mode to place your portal anywhere on your site, even in a different folder.
- A Portal Maintenance Mode to the portal while you are working on it
- New Fam Fam Silk Icons for a pretty layout
- All portal CSS moved to portal.css, to easily customize the portal for each theme
Blocks
- User friendly parameter system with select boxes and check boxes where needed
- Style Options added: use a selection of CSS classes or define your own for each block!
- Implemented more advanced display options, giving you the ability to precisely define where you want blocks to appear (or not)
- You can now collapse sideblocks
- Improved blocks:
- Users Online Today support
- Averages option to Board Stats Block
- Improvements to RSS Feed Block*
- All built-in blocks are re-coded in a more efficient way
- New block types:
- Gallery block*
- Advanced Calendar block
- Horizontal Forum Menu block
- Theme Select block
- Staff block
- Blog block*
- Articles block
- Arcade block*
- Shop block*
Block types with an asterisk (*) are intelligent blocks. They detect any related mod installed, if available and either makes use of it or displays information from the mod.
To answer the biggest question that will surely come, SimplePortal 2.2 will be released very soon, when it is ready. Beta Testers and other Team members are bug hunting on the Release Candidate version of 2.2, so a final version is not far off. Stay tuned for a release in the future!
In the meantime, our demo site has been updated with the latest release. Feel free to visit and play around with the next version on our Demo Site (http://demo.simpleportal.net)!
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Awesome [SiNaN]!! Looks like a lot of cool features in the new version. I can't wait for it to be released!!
If you need another Beta Tester I'd be happy to help out.
Chris
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Some nice features coming in 2.2 also few most welcomed improvements. Great work!
Same here, if You need help with testing/support just give a sign. ;)
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wow :applause:
cant wait to see and test all this new features 8)
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Well, you can still do beta testing without a badge. If you haven't noticed yet, there is an open admin demo account for you to test the admin panel of the new SimplePortal 2.2 in Demo Site, so that you can try breaking the new version before its out!
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Been there, done that already, couldn't break thou. :)
You may consider enabling all possible blocks there (and installing required mods - SMF Gallery, Arcade etc..) - for more accurate testing.
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That's a lot of variables. It's better to leave it at a vanilla SMF + SP install. We can hammer out mod compatibilities once SP itself is perfect.
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Sounds wonderful - can't wait
As a newbie can you please tell me how I will upgrade, I mean will it be simple or will I have to start again?
Thanks, Gibby
;D
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No upgrade package will be included. So simple uninstall SP 2.1, install 2.2 will do. You won't lose any "data", only custom mods if You have any.
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Great
Thanks
Can't wait for the release... Will there be themes included ?
Thanks again
Gibby
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SimplePortal works out of the box with any theme which uses SMF's template system. That is, most of them, about 99% of them. There are one or two legitimate themes with which it has problems, but none are really in the "popular" themes mix.
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Hi
Thanks for the reply - The problem I have been having is SMF not working correctly with other themes - could you suggest some that you know work..
Thanks
Gibby
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Gibby,
As Eliana said SimplePortal should work with almost every theme. That means you can pick the SMF theme that you want. The only edit you need to make is the 'Forum' button.
If you need help adding the 'Forum' button, then you can post in the Themes and Graphics (http://simpleportal.net/index.php?board=18.0) board. Please read the 'Working with Custom Themes. (http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=52.0)' topic first. Community and team members are happy to give support about such an issue, but you have to ask.
There are very few themes that specifically advertise SimplePortal as compatible with them, because SimplePortal works easily with most themes.
If you are having trouble finding SMF themes, then have a look at the sites below. Make sure that you download a theme version that works with your version of SMF.
http://custom.simplemachines.org/themes/
http://www.smfthemes.org/
Here is one of those theme's that specifically says 'SP Compatible':
http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=394.msg2581#msg2581
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Thanks to all...
Waiting for the new release and then I will play
Thanks to everyone for the great support
Gibby
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Admin Demo
Username: test
Password: demotest
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I have a question. Are we allowed to add blocks under the test account to see if things work properly? Just figured I'd ask first.
Chris
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You can do whatever you want on the SP Demo site. If you'll notice, there's a link on the far right of the menu, which says "Refresh Site." If you've made too many changes and you want to start anew, click that and it will restart the demo and erase any changes you made.
If you don't click it, the site will automatically refresh itself every 30 minutes. So don't worry about making changes, they'll all be reset in a half hour anyway.
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Hi there !
Just have seen this thread, messaged in the irc channel. Wonderful that SP 2.2 is coming soon!
Want to say that your work is wonderful! Just wonderful work and wonderful community, stay as you are! ;D
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I played a bit around in the demo, and now I can't await the release of 2.2! :D
/me hopes the release will be asap 8)
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Looks like it will be pretty good
Any timeframe on a release?
I would like to get my claws into it and test it good and proper :)
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Nope, as usually "when it's done", but since we have RC stage now, it won't be long.
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To answer the biggest question that will surely come, SimplePortal 2.2 will be released very soon, when it is ready.
Oh look, we already answered your question. ;)
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Oh look, we already answered your question. ;)
With our awesome premonition/psychic powers!!
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With our awesome premonition/psychic powers!!
You just ignore her, she's mentally still like 10 years old. :P
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What? Don't insult her, she's 11 and a half in her mind! :P
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Okay my bad, 11 and a half then! >:-D
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wow, great changelog!
great work so. ;)
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What? Don't insult her, she's 11 and a half in her mind! :P
I'm 11 and three quarters :'(
/me runs off devastated and crying
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Is this feature
http://simpleportal.net/index.php?issue=113.0
also included?
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Is this feature
http://simpleportal.net/index.php?issue=113.0
also included?
Yes, it is included.
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Is this feature
http://simpleportal.net/index.php?issue=113.0
also included?
Yes, it is included.
Great!
Thanks (and if my username is changed back to what it was, life would be even greater :applause:)
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Username? Are you having the same issue reported in this topic? Login ID (http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=1815.0)
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Username? Are you having the same issue reported in this topic? Login ID (http://simpleportal.net/index.php?topic=1815.0)
Seems so.
After weeks of not logging on, I should have used another date to do it again. If this is really a joke, I can not laugh.
So who is changed to SimplePortal? Only Newbies?
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LMFAO
LOL
Why can't you laugh?
/me is laughing
Heck, my name is "Cheerleader" today :P
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Seems so.
After weeks of not logging on, I should have used another date to do it again. If this is really a joke, I can not laugh.
So who is changed to SimplePortal? Only Newbies?
Well, it is nothing harmless, just a small change in view to make people smile even if it is only for a day. You are the only one seeing your name changed, and everyone else sees only their own username changed. As I said, your original username is not changed, it was just a change in look.