Add menu button function

[lurkalot]

One of the most asked questions on the forums seems to be, how do I add a button / tab to my menu.

It would be great if the functions off the two mods linked below were actually built into SMF 2.  I'm using both these mods on my RC3 install and it's so, so easy to add new buttons.   

Custom site menu

Menu order

Anyone else with me on this?

[Ozzie]

umm i wonder where u got that idea from  u know im with u on this

[Arantor]

I agree, menu customisation would be good to build in.

At the same time you need to be moderately careful about doing it because modders can and do add interesting things into the menu bar; for example in SimpleDesk we dynamically add a number to the Helpdesk menu item, to represent the number of tickets that are open and that you probably need to look at.

[Ozzie]

These two mods individually are great i recommend them all the time to people it would be nice also to have one single mod which combines the functions of both as they work well together

[lurkalot]

umm i wonder where u got that idea from  u know im with u on this

Yep, thanks OZZIE for pointing those mods out to me. So nice not to have to mess about editing files just add a button.

[Arantor]

What we really need is full blown menu manager, not just reordering things but full on management, really, also capable of dealing with custom items that aren't just simple tabs.

[Ozzie]

I totally agree Arantor maybe if enough people agree with this and respond to this thread  maybe it could be taken into consideration for the next release im sure everyone likes anything that makes life easy and this sure would

[Arantor]

Well, when I was still on the team there was a discussion about what should be in 2.1 - and though that was months ago I don't believe this was on the list.

I know a really powerful mod was in development though.

[Ozzie]

Well, when I was still on the team there was a discussion about what should be in 2.1 - and though that was months ago I don't believe this was on the list.

I know a really powerful mod was in development though.

stop teasing we will all be on tenterhooks now trying to guess what this wonderful new mod may be

[Arantor]

It's a menu management mod, that lets you rearrange the menu, add new items, assign permissions to view stuff. I don't know if it ever got finished though.

[jani01]

It's a menu management mod, that lets you rearrange the menu, add new items, assign permissions to view stuff. I don't know if it ever got finished though.

when this mod will be available ?

[NanoSector]

There is one mod that allows you to add one tab that is actually a link...I use it

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1402

[Arantor]

when this mod will be available ?

When the author finishes it?

[NanoSector]

By the way, SMF For Free has a system that allows you to create as many tabs as you want...with URL redirection...

http://www.smfforfree.com/

[nend]

I don't see why the menu system was moved from the templates to the sources. Didn't solve a thing, bad idea IMHO.

I just don't get it, should of been in the DB and cached.

[Arantor]

Actually it solved one MASSIVE problem.

Look through the support boards for mods that add menu items to themes and see how often you have to do a theme edit by hand. For 1.1, EVERY SINGLE MOD that adds a custom button to a theme has to be done by hand. Without fail. Every time.

With 2.0, this pain is (virtually) gone because you add the button once in a single consistent place and invariably it's just done. There's still a few themes that hardcode the button list into the template but the vast majority don't, meaning that for a modder it's a ton simpler to add a menu item.

* Arantor speaks from bitter experience on this.

[lurkalot]

Any further thoughts on this idea?   

[Norv]

Does this suit the purpose?
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=331

I believe that a more featured menu editor would be a very welcome addition as a (potentially official) mod. I'm not so sure about core integration. If it is useful enough, popular and considered suitable for core, it might (or not) be taken into account as optional feature too, in the future versions.

[JohnWayne999]

Thanks for the links. I found a few other ones here:

"Adk Menu Buttons 1.0" (http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=3075) is compatible with SMF 2.0.1 but caution it failed at least these themes: WhiteBlacklbz, Totalblue, Prored, Optic, Inno, Everdream, Elegant, Astonished, 2011.
Note also this mod doesn't let you add button to the native menu of "Help", "Logout" etc. It adds a new panel of buttons just below innate menu.

"6 Custom buttons / tabs and menu's (upto 4)" gives you collapsable menus up the very top. http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2657

"Custom Site Menu" is something similar. I think this one lets you add button to the innate menu (ie. adds additional buttons to "Help", "Logout" etc). http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2259

"Menu Order" then lets you rearrange the order the innate menu buttons (eg. "Help", "Logout" buttons). http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2348


By the way, does anyone know how to make their button open up into a new window? For example only one of my buttons is "Chatroom". I would like that button when pressed, to open a separate new window which runs Chatroom. How do I establish that? Now the buttons and menus are getting very complicated in SMF 2.x, I'm not sure if I want to go in and edit things manually, worried down the track it might interfere with other things. Is there a simpler solution? Thanks.

[timetraveller]

Are any of the mods listed here suitable for SMF 2.0.1?

All I'm looking for is to add one button in exactly the same style as existing menu so I can link back to the home page and to rename the current "home" button to "forum".

[Oldiesmann]

Are any of the mods listed here suitable for SMF 2.0.1?

All I'm looking for is to add one button in exactly the same style as existing menu so I can link back to the home page and to rename the current "home" button to "forum".

You don't need a mod to do that. A quick edit to Subs.php will do the trick:

Find

Code Select Expand

'home' => array(
'title' => $txt['home'],
'href' => $scripturl,
'show' => true,
'sub_buttons' => array(
),
'is_last' => $context['right_to_left'],
),

Replace

Code Select Expand

'home' => array(
'title' => $txt['home'],
'href' => 'http://www.yoursite.com',
'show' => true,
'sub_buttons' => array(
),
'is_last' => $context['right_to_left'],
),
'forum' => array(
'title' => 'Forum',
'href' => $scripturl,
'show' => true,
'sub_buttons' => array(
),
),

Or, if you want the "Home" item to open in a new window, you can do this (it's a bit of a cheat, but it works well):

Code Select Expand

'home' => array(
'title' => $txt['home'],
'href' => 'http://www.yoursite.com" target="_blank"',
'show' => true,
'sub_buttons' => array(
),
'is_last' => $context['right_to_left'],
),
'forum' => array(
'title' => 'Forum',
'href' => $scripturl,
'show' => true,
'sub_buttons' => array(
),
),

[Matthew K.]

Oldies - A better way to add a target is like this...

Code Select Expand


'target' => '_blank',
As "target" is already a variable built into the Menu system.

Also, I should be releasing a Menu Editor Lite system for SMF 2.0.1 around Christmas time

[Oldiesmann]

Oldies - A better way to add a target is like this...

Code Select Expand


'target' => '_blank',
As "target" is already a variable built into the Menu system.

Also, I should be releasing a Menu Editor Lite system for SMF 2.0.1 around Christmas time

Didn't know that. I've always seen it done the "sneaky" way that I pointed out above.

[Matthew K.]

index.template.php

Code Select Expand

<a class="', $button['active_button'] ? 'active ' : '', 'firstlevel" href="', $button['href'], '"', isset($button['target']) ? ' target="' . $button['target'] . '"' : '', '>

[timetraveller]

Ooh - some coding ..... am I ready to take the plunge??? It looks straightforward ..... 

[timetraveller]

First problem - can't find that bit of code.

Found two files in "Sources" directory. One labelled subs.php  and the other subs.php~

I assume I need subs.php but when I pasted that first bit of code into the search box on TextPad it can't find it.

I'm using SMF 2.0.1 with a colour variant of Curve theme.

[Matthew K.]

You should open up a new topic for your question in SMF Coding Discussion.

[OCJ]

Would be useful standalone and ... only a few portals have menu functions as well.

Language Menu
One thing I think should be added automatically to the menu is a language button with submenu items for each added language.
Cant believe how messy it is adding mod code all the time in different themes to get either a language button, drop down or flag. No other software is this bad ... that put me off SMF 5 years ago and it hasn't improved much.

Languages are automatically added in admin so why can't a menu items for them (in a list under languages). When a new (first) language is added a language menu button should be added with that language as a submenu item. Additional added languages being added to the language menu list.

[Kindred]

Language does not belong in the main menu.....

[Matthew K.]

Kindred is right...and it wouldn't be hard to add yourself. $context['languages'] is populated by getLanguages();, call getLanguages(); in the setupMenuContext(); function, and then use a loop to feed the languages into the menu array where you want.

[OCJ]

Thats the only place that I can think of it working on any template as it is the only thing uniformly displayed on all templates. If there is no other way except editing by hand then it is, as I said - a mess. Other CMS and boards manage it much better I think.

[Kindred]

There are plenty of better places for it.... and several different ways to get it into those locations.
Language choice does not belong in the main menu.

[Matthew K.]

Eventually I'll get to updating my Language Dropdown mod, which won't have any template edits. Let's get back on topic here, though.

[OCJ]

This is the point, if it cant go in the menu it should have some universal positions - or placement like Joomla with a mod position all themes should follow.... haha - fat chance of that.

It should be sorted out some way or other as it puts off ordinary people using smf when they have to place a function call in a template file they know nothing about.
"oh wait a minute what about that semi colon or echo and apostrophe" ...

Even for reasonably savvy people it doesn't work out all the time - shouldn't be that way these days and its holding back smf from what it should be.


utf8  has taken over recently and for good reason - we all need extra languages as we cross borders and languages to share information.

[lurkalot]

Did the menu manager idea ever get considered as a core feature?  Yes I know it's an old thread, but it's still a relevant question.

[Arantor]

It got considered, it certainly isn't going to happen in 2.1. Will it happen for 3.0? Probably, but no-one can say for certain right now.

[lurkalot]

It got considered, it certainly isn't going to happen in 2.1. Will it happen for 3.0? Probably, but no-one can say for certain right now.

Thanks, I'm more than happy with that answer.  It might not seem like it, but I can guarantee people would love that feature.