New here, with a couple of questions

Started by tgh, March 27, 2011, 06:01:36 PM

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tgh

Hi, I'm looking to start a new forum. Basically, it won't have to be too complex. In fact, I'm trying to be pretty minimalist here.

So basically, here's what I want.
1. VERY easy registration. My main site is not going to be the smf forum. The subdomain or the subfolder will contain the forum so it'll look like mysite.com/forums [nofollow] or forums.mysite.com [nofollow]

When the user clicks register on my main site, it will show an unintrusive login popup. It would require only username, password, email, captcha. That's it. From there, the users can go into deeper details with their profiles at a later time if they want, but it's not necessary. After the 10sec sign-in, the user is free to do whatever.

If you don't what I mean, check out reddit.com [nofollow]'s registration. It's so easy and really does take like 10seconds.

2. Facebook integration. People can sign up via facebook, or comment via facebook.

3. I want to insert a div tag containing a picture below the content of every page. Is that possible? (should be since I can put ads anywhere I think)

Anyways that's it.

Can you guy link me the plug-ins I would need for the said stuff I'd like to do.

Also, I'd really love an estimate on how long I should expect to work on my forum. And how much coding I should do. (I understand html and css very well, and have some level of knowledge regarding php and mysql) My site is not a CMS, btw. Not sure if that matters, but yeah.

All replies are greatly appreciated, thanks!

Arantor

1. That's no different to what's currently on offer, actually... registration is username, password (twice), email and CAPTCHA - oh and a "don't display my email address" option.

2. There's a couple of mods for that. Search the mod site for Facebook.

3. There's a couple of mods for managing ads, search the mod site for either Ad Management or SimpleAds.

tgh

Nice. How long should it take to set everything up?

Also, I didn't want to ask this before as I highly doubt smf has this feature. But is it possible have a forum in this format?
http://i.imgur.com/xN4I4.png [nofollow]

The forum discussion sections would have a gallery format. Keep in mind that those yellow squares wouldn't be images. Rather, it would contain the name of the title. The system/text editor would know when to enter a new line and what font size to use to fit inside the square.

This sounds really specific, I know, but is there a closest thing to it?

Arantor

A few minutes to set the basic forum up, plus a few more minutes to set the mods up. Mostly depends on the theme you're going to use as some mods have issues installing on custom themes.

No, there's nothing like that in SMF, and I'm struggling to understand how that would be approachable or intuitive (or generally anything other than confusing) but it's possible to write, of course.

tgh

It'd be a whole lot more appealing on the eyes. I don't want to study says this, that, blah. But yeah, basically, it would just be a whole lot appealing to the eyes. People are a lot more attracted to text in small columns.

I suppose I could attempt to write a mod. Is simplemachines easily configurable with php? And as always with my favorite question, how long should I expect to spend writing on this (or how long would it take you to)?

Arantor

QuotePeople are a lot more attracted to text in small columns.

Except you're naturally generating columns on disparate elements that will confuse where they're supposed to be focusing.

QuoteIs simplemachines easily configurable with php?

Well, it's pure PHP, so if you're fluent, it's completely configurable. It's not brilliantly documented, though, so invariably you're going to go diving into the code to understand it.

QuoteAnd as always with my favorite question, how long should I expect to spend writing on this (or how long would it take you to)?

I'm probably not the best person to ask on how long development takes ;D I still don't really see where you're trying to put this, whether you're trying to replace individual topics or more naturally replacing boards, so I can't even begin to give you an estimate. If I truly understood where you were trying to get to (a better mockup than some coloured blocks of what you're trying to achieve would help, like a semi-finalised mock-up of the result), I'd be able to quote - but at minimum you're talking days of development for someone familiar with SMF's innards, weeks if not.

tgh

QuoteExcept you're naturally generating columns on disparate elements that will confuse where they're supposed to be focusing.
I don't think so. I think it would very easy for users to adjust to it. Also, my site's topics are in gallery format so I was hoping to be consistent.

QuoteWell, it's pure PHP, so if you're fluent, it's completely configurable. It's not brilliantly documented, though, so invariably you're going to go diving into the code to understand it.
Well that stinks. I'm a php/mysql intermediate at best. :P

QuoteI'm probably not the best person to ask on how long development takes  I still don't really see where you're trying to put this, whether you're trying to replace individual topics or more naturally replacing boards, so I can't even begin to give you an estimate. If I truly understood where you were trying to get to (a better mockup than some coloured blocks of what you're trying to achieve would help, like a semi-finalised mock-up of the result), I'd be able to quote - but at minimum you're talking days of development for someone familiar with SMF's innards, weeks if not.
Pooey, well I guess my idea's out of the window. For the record, the forum wouldn't be complex at all.
From the imgur photo, the order's:
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
It'd just operate like a gallery. So the newest topic would be placed in 1. The next newest topic would be placed in 1, and the previous topic would be placed in 2. When someone comments on it, it would be in one again. Just like a forum. I don't know how many rows or columns there would be, but you get the idea. Regardless, the idea's out of the window.  Unless there's some other forum software that offers it?  ;D
What are some good smf plugins/features I should I know? (Or is there a list somewhere)?

Thanks for your help so far, by the way.  :laugh:

Arantor

QuoteI don't think so. I think it would very easy for users to adjust to it. Also, my site's topics are in gallery format so I was hoping to be consistent.

Then you probably should provide a link so instead of me scrabbling round in the dark trying to understand the topic from a vague diagram, I could see what you're talking about.

QuoteWell that stinks. I'm a php/mysql intermediate at best.

To be honest, so are most of the people here. That's not an indictment, simply an observation.

QuotePooey, well I guess my idea's out of the window. For the record, the forum wouldn't be complex at all.

It's not out the window, right now it's in limbo because I don't think you've explained what you're trying to achieve very well.

QuoteIt'd just operate like a gallery

Not like the gallery many people here use...

QuoteRegardless, the idea's out of the window

What, just because you don't have the time to implement it and don't want to learn or pay someone else to do it?

QuoteJust like a forum.

Well, it's like a single board in a forum that has a different layout to normal, but could be achieved by custom coding in the MessageIndex.template.php file (which handles an individual board's topics)

QuoteWhat are some good smf plugins/features I should I know? (Or is there a list somewhere)?

Oh there are some excellent plugins. Except that I have no idea what your site is about so can't possibly recommend good plugins. There's a list, hit Customize at the top of this page.

tgh

QuoteFor the record, the forum wouldn't be complex at all.
From the imgur photo, the order's:
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
It'd just operate like a gallery. So the newest topic would be placed in 1. The next newest topic would be placed in 1, and the previous topic would be placed in 2. When someone comments on it, it would be in one again. Just like a forum.
I think that's a sufficient explanation of how a subsection like General Discussion would work. An example would be http://1x.com/photos/latest-additions/ [nofollow]
Imagine if that was the general topics subsection. Except instead of images of all shapes and sizes it would be all be squared. And instead of images... they would really just be like text wrapped in div or li tags. (I'd rather not use images as my hosting cost would be insane).
All of the subsections would operate like this.

QuoteWhat, just because you don't have the time to implement it and don't want to learn or pay someone else to do it?
I don't have that much time on my hand, and I'm not sure how much I would pay someone. What's the typical commission, anyway?

QuoteWell, it's like a single board in a forum that has a different layout to normal, but could be achieved by custom coding in the MessageIndex.template.php file (which handles an individual board's topics)
Buggers! My image gave the wrong impression lol. I don't even know why I did the whole expand +/- thing on my image. How bout this, my main forum would look like simplemachine's. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

It's only when the people enter a subforum, like general discussion, it would show the gallery format of topics.
So yeah, not AS complex as I made it out to be. Definitely don't want a one board forum. Don't even know why I did that >.<

Arantor

QuoteI don't have that much time on my hand, and I'm not sure how much I would pay someone. What's the typical commission, anyway?

Depends on complexity. I know a few people that would consider doing this for $30 or so if they have time.

QuoteIt's only when the people enter a subforum, like general discussion, it would show the gallery format of topics.

See now I understand you. It's basically a rewrite of the main message index template, into the grid style instead of the current list (it's http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=147.0 you're looking to rewrite).

So, to recap, that template would be rewritten. Would you be posting directly from that page or would you just see the topics on that page and go into the topic itself to post? The latter is much less change, the former more probably what you're looking for, still doable, but does make it more complex.

tgh

QuoteDepends on complexity. I know a few people that would consider doing this for $30 or so if they have time.
Whoa, that's cheap lol. I know the average commission to make a site is somewhere around $2000. Thought it wouldnt a fraction of that, but not around 1.5% of that!

QuoteSee now I understand you. It's basically a rewrite of the main message index template, into the grid style instead of the current list (it's http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=147.0 you're looking to rewrite).
Yes! Yes! Yes!

QuoteSo, to recap, that template would be rewritten. Would you be posting directly from that page or would you just see the topics on that page and go into the topic itself to post? The latter is much less change, the former more probably what you're looking for, still doable, but does make it more complex.
When you click the topic, it would take you inside the topic. It would like pretty much like a regular comment thread. More specifically like IGN's. http://boards.ign.com/ps3_lobby/b8269/175600217/p1/?280052 [nofollow] . It just has a very clean look, in my opinion.

Arantor

QuoteWhoa, that's cheap lol. I know the average commission to make a site is somewhere around $2000. Thought it wouldnt a fraction of that, but not around 1.5% of that!

You see, now I understand what you're talking about... you're talking modifying one template, for those who are skilled in such, that's an evening's work at most!

QuoteWhen you click the topic, it would take you inside the topic

Which means it just touches that one file and doesn't get into the full complexity of posting from that screen, which is sort of where I thought you were going to start with.

QuoteIt would like pretty much like a regular comment thread

Well, that's a vague restyling of the theme - plenty of themes on custom.simplemachines.org/themes/ you can look at to see if the style suits you - then get someone to fix up the inside-board template to how you want.

tgh

QuoteYou see, now I understand what you're talking about... you're talking modifying one template, for those who are skilled in such, that's an evening's work at most!
I'm not so sure about that. After all, like I said, the topic titles in the subforum would be restricted to a small or medium-sized square. The coder would have to come up with a system of of determining the size of the fonts, when to skip to the next line in the square and such, depending on the length of the person's topic title. Afterall, you can't expect a topic that reads "Who likes Halo 3?" to have the same font size and amount of lines as "The war in Afghanistan was a complete and utter mess". In fact, the coder would also have to come up with a system to implement hyphens when need be. So you can separate that title to something like:
The war in Af-
ghanistan was
a complete
and mutter mess

Either that OR have the coder could make something like an online text pad. That way, the person who wants to create a topic could stylize his own thread title. If you're confused, yet interested, it'd be something like microsoft paint. Except without the paint ability, but you can enter text wherever you want inside the canvas.

I'm going stop now in case I confuse you further hah.

Arantor

QuoteThe coder would have to come up with a system of of determining the size of the fonts, when to skip to the next line in the square and such

If you're expecting proper columns, very very best of luck to you since there's no way the server can reliably do it based on all the different fonts and so on that a user might have installed, which means it has to be estimated and re-laid out in Javascript and CSS, except CSS3 can't even do it properly so it'll have to be entirely Javascript based in order to work.

Hyphenation, same deal. If you're hoping for it to look perfect, wait about 5 years for all browsers to actually support this technology since right now trying to implement it properly to your apparently exacting specifications just ain't gonna happen.

Yes, it's an evening's work if you're willing for it to be better than average, but years otherwise since there's just no way to do what you're asking. I should know, I had to implement Javascript based contraction using ... not that long ago. That was a mess, but still only two hours start to finish.

tgh

QuoteIf you're expecting proper columns, very very best of luck to you since there's no way the server can reliably do it based on all the different fonts and so on that a user might have installed, which means it has to be estimated and re-laid out in Javascript and CSS, except CSS3 can't even do it properly so it'll have to be entirely Javascript based in order to work.

Hyphenation, same deal. If you're hoping for it to look perfect, wait about 5 years for all browsers to actually support this technology since right now trying to implement it properly to your apparently exacting specifications just ain't gonna happen.

Yes, it's an evening's work if you're willing for it to be better than average, but years otherwise since there's just no way to do what you're asking. I should know, I had to implement Javascript based contraction using ... not that long ago. That was a mess, but still only two hours start to finish.
How so? In CSS, you always have backup fonts. Like the text could rely in the order of Tahoma (since 99.9% of windows user has that), Helvetica (100% of Mac Users have this font), and then Sans-Serif.
I don't see how that's the hard part.

Although, what "mediocre" approach did you have in mind?

Arantor

QuoteHow so? In CSS, you always have backup fonts.

So? The server never gets told that. Nor does it get told the width of any text, so it has to be done purely on the browser side. And even different browsers render the same font in different ways, so you can rely on a given font existing, but you can't rely on its size in any way, shape or form, you have to specify vague rules and manage it manually in the browser in Javascript.

I'd also note that while there is an API in CSS for hyphenation it's not implemented cross browser, which would make that manually implemented again - oh, and you'd have to figure out the widths of each character too, and keep cutting it down until you got to the right width to make it work, because again the server doesn't have this information.

The mediocre approach is to apply a vague guess on the server side and not worry about it being pixel perfect with the CSS allowing it to mismatch a little.

tgh

Good points. How much do you think it'll cost to do it?

Arantor

Depends how much someone's willing to charge for it. Me personally, I'd charge $200, but that's because I don't like doing work on a commission basis because invariably my heart isn't in it. I know people that would spend an evening and charge $30 to $50 on it (basically as per my original quote) and I've directed them in the way of this topic so hopefully one of them will reply here and/or contact you to discuss it.

tgh

Thank you good sir ^^;;

I might go to sleep soon, however. But I'll be sure to reply as soon as possible if not tonight.

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