PMx-Subforums v1.41 (updated 03 Jul 2013t)

[feline]

Link to Mod

This Modification is based on GooseMoose / Orstio Shared Forum and a idea/code of ahrasis.

What is SubForum and what can it do for you?
If you have a large forum with many categories and board, this feature can help you, to split all the boards into smaller pieces. The splitting is based on the categories.
You can setup the categories for each Subforum. In the Subforum you see (and can work) only with the boards and topics in the categories, they you have assigned to the subforum.
All SMF internal functions like unread topics, search and much more worked only on the boards you can see. Any attempt to read a topic outside the subforum, ends in message, that you not have access to this. Also you can setup which Membergroups have access to each Subforum.
SubForums works also perfect with the Portal Management Extension PortaMx up from version 1.0 and we have added a sample PHP block to switch between the Subforums and the Main forum.

How it works and what you have to do?
Subforum work with a domain alias like subforum.domain.tld. To use this, you have to create the domain alias you will use and then setup your Subforums (assign the categories).

For the Mainforum you have two settings:
Admin access only:
If checked, a Administrator Login is shown (as in Maintenance) and only the Admin or Members with "admin_forum" permission can login to the Mainforum.

Disable XML/RSS feed:
If checked, the XML/RSS feed don't send boards outside the Subforums on sa=recent or sa=news
The XML/RSS for sa=member and sa=profile;u=# is handled as follow:
Admin access only NOT checked: the feed is send, all links points to the Mainforum.
Admin access only checked: if a Subforum with Guest or Regular Members access exists, the feed is send, all links points to this Subforum. If no Subforum found, the feed is NOT send.

After the installation you find a new entry SubForums Manager under Admin - Forum.
Form here you can setup your SubForums and  you can test your settings (see images).

Admin - Forum Dropdown:


Admin - Main screen:


Admin - Settings screen:

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

Congratulation! It is now official... 

[feline]

Thank you .. and I say thanks for the idea, a lot of code and testing 

[Kimmie]

how about some before and after screenshots so we can see it in action?  (or perhaps a demo site with this mod installed)

[feline]

Well ... if you have 2 categories (cat-a and cat-b) and you setup 2 subforums (sub-a and sub-b) the you can assign cat-a to sub-a and cat-b to sub-b.
Switch to sub-a and you see only the cat-a and all boards/topics in this category.
Switch to sub-b and you see only the cat-b and all boards/topics in this category.
If you switch to the main forum you see all.
We will setup a demo site next time...

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

I wish to help but I got my own problem with my own sites too... May be next time...

[Kimmie]

Well ... if you have 2 categories (cat-a and cat-b) and you setup 2 subforums (sub-a and sub-b) the you can assign cat-a to sub-a and cat-b to sub-b.
Switch to sub-a and you see only the cat-a and all boards/topics in this category.
Switch to sub-b and you see only the cat-b and all boards/topics in this category.
If you switch to the main forum you see all.
We will setup a demo site next time...

you cant even post screenshots?  lol. nevermind then. I dont install any mod I cant see in action first.

[luuuciano]

In action? well, it is like having several forums, on separated domains (not really) and sharing users, private messages, etc...
You can share all that because in fact it is just 1 smf moded to achieve that, and using aliased domains (parked domains in cpanel hostings)

There were several mods and technics to achieve this in the past, I think that pmx-subforums is the best one as you do not have to install several smf copies, do sql tricks, you have all the mods that you need installed in just one place, you have to take care for just one smf, no issues with uploaded files (avatars, attachments, etc)

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

Kimmie, what post screen do you want more? I think the necessary one has been posted in the OP.

Further, this mod can only be understood and appreciated by those who tested it or who follows this mod development and its varieties from the very beginning.

Among others, the varieties are:
1. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=64492.0 Joomla + SMF (Multi Forum with Single SMF + Joomla Installation) Tips & Tricks (Gooseman + Orstio)
2. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=158330.0 SMF + TP (Multi Forum with Single SMF + TP Installation) (A mod by Sarge - not in SMF)
3. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=171340.0 MultiDomain SMF Forum (Multi Forum with Single Installation) Tips & Tricks (Pedja)
4. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=94270.0 (A mod by Gamesmad - not in SMF)
5. http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=16190.0 Shared User Database Tips & Tricks (Two ways: 1. Spaceman-Spiff by editing files 2. mkmeister: by editing MySQL: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=16190.msg2523327#msg2523327)
6. http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2137 (Multi Forum with Single SMF Installation) (Multiple Forum Mod by avail)
7. http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1936 (Multi Forum with Single SMF Installation) (Shared Forum Mod for 2.0 by simmaster)

Edited to add few more references.

[feline]

Well .. we have setup a test site who you can see the SubForums and the Portal in action ...
Look at

[kingkingston]

You need to add a delete sub forum button in admin

[feline]

You need to add a delete sub forum button in admin

That is exist .. but you can't delete the current active subforum 

[kingkingston]

You need to add a delete sub forum button in admin

That is exist .. but you can't delete the current active subforum 

how many sub-forums can you make ? and also does it take over the existing forum set up ?

[feline]

how many sub-forums can you make ? and also does it take over the existing forum set up ?

There is no limit..
What you mean with "existing Forum setup"?

[kingkingston]

how many sub-forums can you make ? and also does it take over the existing forum set up ?

There is no limit..
What you mean with "existing Forum setup"?

When i tried this mod out, it put the sub forum i made as the default and i couldn't get to the other forum boards parts.

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

Dear kingkingston,

For this mod to be used, you need only one forum with several categories.

You will also need, cpanel access to create subdomain and to point it or any other addon domain in the same cpanel, to the same folder of that one forum.  The subforums are accessible from any domain or subdomain pointing to the same folder of that main forum.

Using this mod, you only need to specify which categories to appear on that other subforums either partly or in whole.

Note the admin button if tick will only allow admin to access main forum.

[Motorhed]

When I try to apply this mod, I get the "corrupt or not for your version" error message.

I'm using 2.0

This looks like a fantastic mod, something I've wanted for a long time. Thanks for the hard work.


Edit: I successfully installed it on another forum of mine, and it doesn't work. Could this be because the forum I got it installed on is already on a subdomain itself? The forum is http://my.whizu.com and the sub-forum is http://hosted.whizu.com - as you can see it doesn't load when you click the second link.

[luuuciano]

You have to use alias domain (parked domain in cpanels)... anyway, you may have an alias domain that looks like a subdomain (but I have not tried that yet)

[feline]

The main forum can't installed on a subdomain, because you can't make a alias on a subdoamins 

[Motorhed]

Rats!! Thanks.

Now I just have to figure out why it says it's not compatable with the *other* 2.0 forum I tried it in.